The impossible Demon
by PiperRoseHalliwell
Summary: Hell corrupts souls, turning them into Demons. But what if there was one Demon that didn't change completely? What if she somehow kept a piece of her soul pure and untouched? What happens when she meets Castiel during the Apocalypse? (Complete rewrite with new ideas in process)
1. Krystal

Krystal was not your average Demon. She was different from the others, not because of her powers or her rage towards humans and everything else but because of her humanity. Demons weren't supposed to feel humanity in them, their souls were blackened and twisted from their time in Hell. They felt nothing but the need to destroy and twist other souls simply because they could. After spending a certain amount of time in Hell, the souls would forget about their humanity and their life from before. Everything would fade away like a dream and in its place would be a soul no longer pure and good but dark and destructive. And that's how Demons were made. Unfortunately for Krystal, she remembered her time as both human and Demon. Her human life had been nothing but pain and misery. Towards the end of what she considered her human life, she had met a newly turned Demon, humanity still there but slowly slipping.

The Demon had introduced her self as Meg in the beginning. After Meg had helped Krystal escape from her prison, she had stuck around the beaten, broken human. During the time they spent together, Meg explained who and what she was, where she came from and what Hell was like. Krystal had listened intently, fascinated with her stories. Krystal had questioned Meg's humanity at times. Meg had told her it was because she had been sent out to seal the rest of her soul by killing and torturing anyone she came across. Krystal pointed out in confusion that the Demon hadn't killed _her._ Not quite being a complete Demon yet, Meg told her it was because she thought Krystal didn't deserve it. After that, Meg stayed close to Krystal even going so far as to tell the girl her human name before she forgot it.

And when Krystal eventually went to Hell for killing her jailors and tormentors despite what they had done to her, Meg had continued to be there for her in her own special way. Not wanting her to turn completely, Meg and Krystal cast a spell they hoped would last. If Krystal were able to remember her humanity even in Hell then it meant she wouldn't be a full Demon. Of course there was a downside to the plan. Knowing they wouldn't be able to stop her from going to Hell or the eventual conversion to Demon, they used a small piece of her soul for the spell. The spell would protect that piece of soul no matter what, keeping it pure and good.

During their time in Hell, Meg completed her conversion, turning into a full Demon. Krystal spent her time being tortured by the Demons until eventually the rest of her soul that wasn't protected, turned dark. And that was how she became a Demon.


	2. Castiel

Krystal closed her eyes, trying to sense Meg. The Apocalypse had begun and Lucifer was now free to walk the Earth. Krystal didn't agree with this. She didn't like the thought of the Archangel walking around the Earth like he owned it, killing anything and everything he pleased just because he could. Or maybe that was just her humanity talking. She frowned, finally locating the Demon. She opened her eyes and disappeared to Meg's location. She found the Demon taunting a man that stood in a fire circle. _An Angel,_ she thought. She tilted her head as she observed their conversation. Eventually she had enough and quickly revealed herself. "Enough, Meg!"

Meg jumped in surprise as she whirled around to stare at Krystal in fear and disbelief. "What are _you_ doing here?" She demanded harshly, eyes darting around the room as if she expected someone to jump out and attack.

"Looking for _you!_ What the hell do you think your doing?" Krystal hissed.

Meg's eyes narrowed. "What does it look like? Lucifer asked me to keep an eye on him. Make sure he doesn't escape."

Krystal glared at her. " _Lucifer?_ Are you crazy? What the hell are you doing with Lucifer?"

Meg glared back. "He's the savour of our race, Krystal. He's gonna save us."

Krystal wanted to grab Meg by the shoulders and shake her until she realized the truth. "Lucifer is _not_ going to save us," she hissed. "He's gonna end up _killing_ us when he's done with his little tantrum with the Earth and humanity!"

"You're lying!"

"The hell I am! You _do_ realize what he is, don't you? He's an _Angel_! Angels don't like Demons. They kill Demons. If he didn't like us when we were just created and pure back then, then what makes you think he'll like us now when we're worse and twisted and dark?" Krystal could see the uncertainty in Meg's eyes, could see the doubt rising up. _Good,_ Krystal thought to herself. "The only reason he's with us is because he needs you to help him with whatever his plans are. And then he'll kill you the first chance he gets!"

Krystal glanced at the man trapped before them. She was surprised to see the way he was looking at her. She could see the curiosity, surprise and distrust in his eyes. She forced herself to look away but she could still feel his eyes on her. She turned her attention back to Meg, hoping to reason with her. She stopped when she saw the Demons eyes widen in fear. She froze when she heard a curious yet chilling voice behind her. _No, No, No, No!_

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before turning around to face the owner of the voice. _Lucifer._ The Archangel stood leaning against the wall staring at her. She said nothing as he stood to move closer to her. Quickly, she grabbed the last piece of her soul protecting her humanity and pushed it back. But before she could manage to hide it completely, Lucifer lunged forwards and grabbed her arm. "Don't do that," he said calmly.

She hesitated but spoke anyway. She decided to play dumb. "Don't do what?"

"Hide your soul," he replied.

Her eyes widened in fear. She knew the spell would protect it but she also knew there _were_ ways around it. Corrupting herself willingly was one of the ways the spell would break. Another was torture, torture that was so bad, so severe her mind would snap, unable to handle it, causing her to slip into insanity. Neither was what she wanted. "I don't know what you're talking about," she lied weakly. She could feel her soul pushing itself back up, reminding her of her humanity. Something that she didn't really want right now.

"No? Are you sure about that?" He grabbed her by her throat and threw her down onto the floor. She couldn't read his expression and this made her feel more scared. "What a curious little thing you are. What are you? How on Earth did you manage to do that?"

She slowly made her way to her feet. There was no point in trying to escape. There wasn't one. She wasn't one to take the cowards way out.

* * *

Inside the circle, Castiel watched the scene in curiosity. He hadn't expected another Demon to show up, nor was he happy when one did. It meant it was going to be harder to get out. His annoyance turned to surprise when this new Demon then turned to the one that called itself Meg, practically begging her to stop what she was doing. _Like Anna had with me before I turned her over to Heaven,_ he thought to himself bitterly. It was always something he regretted dearly. He watched as they argued, all the while his eyes on the new Demon - Krystal, Meg had called her. He had been stunned when Krystal had tried to get Meg to leave Lucifer and the Apocalypse. She was a Demon. Demons didn't care for others but it seems this one did. He shook his head angrily. No! There was no way he was going down _that_ road. Demons weren't to be trusted end of story. The last time someone trusted a Demon, they started the Apocalypse. The Demon was right though. He _was_ an Angel and Angels killed their kind.

And then Lucifer had returned.

He saw the new Demon freeze up. He saw the fear in her eyes before she turned to face him. His eyes narrowed when Lucifer mentioned her soul. Why would he be interested in a Demons _soul?_ They didn't even have souls. And yet...Lucifer was staring at her like she was something the Archangel had never seen before. Castiel watched as he waved his hand at her, throwing her back against the wall. The overwhelming need to get out suffocated the Angel. He didn't like that he was stuck there unable to help his friends who could be dead or dying. He expected Lucifer to just kill her but he didn't. Instead, he left. Probably to finish what he'd started...raising Death himself. He was almost finished with his plan. Now all he had to do was trick one of the Demons into coming closer to him in order for his plan to work. He glanced between them before setting his eyes on Meg. He taunted her until she moved to stand in front of him. The bolts holding the metal up behind her flew across the room. Meg was thrown into the circle. He grabbed her, pressing the palm of his hand to her head, fully intending to kill her but nothing happened.

She laughed cruely at him. "You can't kill Demons can you? You ain't got the juice to do it. So if you can't kill us then what _can_ you do, you impotent sap?" She taunted back.

Castiel's jaw tightened. Oh, how he loathed this Demon. "I can do this!" He threw the Demon onto the fire and used her body to get out. As soon as he was out of the circle, he expected the other Demon to try to attack him but she didn't. His eyes narrowed in confusion as she merely leant against the wall, watching him intently. With a flap of wings, he disappeared to find the others.

He didn't think of them again until the night they went to kill Crowley.


	3. Crowley

Castiel had been mid battle when Sam Winchester prayed to him. He'd gone down to see him only to realize he had been tricked. He hadn't been happy about that but decided to stay anyway since it involved Crowley. At this point, he couldn't let them find out about the deal he had made with the Demon. Finding Purgatory was high priority for them in order to defeat Raphael and he knew they would never understand. The war had been going on for a while now and he was growing weary and tired. The fact that his friends didn't seem to realize the full consequences if Raphael won didn't help in the slightest. Castiel had followed the Winchesters to a clearing where he saw a very familliar Demon waiting for them. His eyes grew hard and cold as he caught sight of Meg and her Demons. He looked around to see if he could see the other Demon that had been with her before but he couldn't see her. He didn't know why he felt disappointment at this.

Meg grinned at him. "Remember me? I sure remember you, Clerence."

He glared at her. "Why are we working with these...abominations?" He asked darkly.

Meg's grin grew wider. "Keep talking dirty, it makes my meatsuit all dewy."

"Where's your friend?" Castiel asked curiously.

Meg's eyebrows raised in confusion. "What friend? I've got many. You're gonna have to be a little more specific there."

"The other Demon. The one that stood up to Lucifer. I believe you called her...Krystal?"

Meg's expression turned to understanding. "Not here. Why?" Her eyes narrowed and a grin formed on her lips. "You want her or something? Aww, looks like the little tree topper has a crush." She turned to one of the Demons. "Go get Krystal," she ordered him. He nodded then disappeared. Moments later the Demon returned, holding a familliar dark haired girl by the arm. Meg turned back to Castiel. "There you go. Happy now?" Castiel ignored her in favour of Krystal. There was something about her that made him feel different. He wasn't sure he liked it. It wasn't long before they finally decided to enter Crowley's prison. They stopped in the hallway when they heard the sounds of Hellhounds coming for them. Castiel could see that both Sam and Dean were pissed to find out it was a trap. Meg was her usual sarcastic self but Krystal...Castiel noticed the Demon was quiet. Had been since Meg brought her here. He found it strange that a Demon acted the way she did. He couldn't help but feel interested about her. She didn't behave like a Demon should. She was quiet unless spoken to, stood up to Lucifer himself and tried to get another Demon to stop with the Apocalypse. He was brought out of his thoughts by Meg's voice. "I didn't know this was gonna happen, okay? But on the bright side? Them chewing on my meatsuit should buy you a couple more seconds." She tilted her head back and opened her mouth but nothing happened.

Castiel suppressed a smirk as he looked at her. "A spell from Crowley. While your here, the spell locks you in your body. You're trapped."

"Karma's a bitch, bitch." Dean smirked.

Meg glared at him. She turned to Krystal. "Kris?"

Krystal looked at her questioningly. "Yeah?"

"See if you can smoke out. I wanna know how many are out there. Come back and tell me when you know."

Dean rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Did you not hear what Cas just said? You can't smoke out, your trapped!"

Meg grinned and shook her head. "Maybe for me but not for her."

Dean's eyes narrowed in confusion and slight anger. "What?"

"Kris can smoke out whenever she wants. Spell or not. Nothing can hold Krystal down for long."

"Look after my body?" Krystal asked quietly.

Meg nodded. "Always."

They all watched as Krystal tilted her head back, dark blue smoke poured out of her mouth and disappeared around the corner. "How the hell is that possible? How can she do that and you can't? What is she?!" Dean demanded rudely.

"A Demon or are you blind?"

"She's not just a Demon. She can't be or the spell would have affected her too," Castiel said suddenly. "And besides, her smoke is dark blue and not black."

Meg said nothing. She knew what they were like and how they acted towards anything supernatural and she wasn't about to put Krystal through that. Krystal had suffered enough and didn't deserve to be tortured anymore. Before anyone could say anything else, black smoke returned and poured into the mouth of the body Krystal had been using. Her eyes snapped open. Surprisingly enough, it was Castiel who bent down to help her up. She frowned at him in confusion and wariness but allowed him to help her to her feet. "How many?"

"Lots."

"Damnit!" Meg hissed.

"Okay, so now what do we do?" Sam asked.

Krystal thought for a moment. She walked over to Meg and held out her hand. Meg stared in confusion before her eyes darkened in realisation. "No!" She spat.

"Give it to me, Meg!"

"No!" Meg refused.

The others looked at each other not understanding what they were talking about.

"We don't have time for this! Now hand it over!" Krystal snapped.

"This is the worst idea you've had so far."

Krystal shrugged then smirked. "Oh, I dunno. Think I've got a few more bad ideas up my sleeve."

But Meg was not amused. It was easy to tell she was furious. "If your doing this then I'm staying with you."

Krystal shook her head, a soft smile on her face. "No. You need to kill Crowley. The worst that these Hounds can do is send me back to Hell. They can't kill me, remember."

Meg let out a trembling sigh. "No, but you don't deserve Hell, let alone them."

Krystal was about to open her mouth, ready to tell her it was okay, that she'd be fine when Dean snorted behind her. "Course she does. She's a Demon. Demons deserve Hell."

Meg was furious. How dare this pathetic, low life Winchester judge Krystal like that! Who the hell did he think he was, God? Did he seriously not remember the time _he_ spent in Hell torturing innocents? If anyone deserved Hell it would be him! Krystal hadn't tortured or killed anyone in a very long time. The same couldn't be said for this asshole! She threw her hand up, throwing Dean against the door in fury. "Who the hell do you think you are?! If anyone deserves Hell it would be _you_ or are you forgetting everything _you_ did down in Hell? You don't know a damn thing about her so what gives you the damn right to judge?! The last time I checked, you were nothing but a low life hunter with a self-loathing problem who spent time in Hell tearing apart other souls. So watch what you say or next time, I won't hesitate to hurt you, understand?"

Everyone in the room was stunned by Meg's fierce defence.

Dean glared at her. "Aw, Meg. I didn't think it were possible for you to care about anyone else but yourself. What's so special about her? Must be worth it if your so willing to die with her."

Rage swelled in Meg's eyes and she raised her hand into a fist ready to punch him. Just as her fist was about to meet Dean's skin, it was grabbed by another hand. _Krystal_. Krystal shook her head, hoping she would get the message. Thankfully Meg did. She let go of Dean, who fell to the floor. "We don't have time for this. Meg, the knife. Now."

"Please Kris, don't do this. This isn't a good idea. Let me do it."

Krystal shook her head. "No. Those Hounds will kill you. That's something I'm not willing to let happen."

"I can't give you the knife," Meg admitted. "But I know something else that will work on them." She leant down to whisper into Krystal's ear.

Krystal bit her lip, glancing at Castiel nervously. "Um, I'm not sure that's a good idea," she blushed. With a roll of her eyes, Meg pushed Krystal into Castiel, who looked down at her in surprise. She leant up to whisper in his ear. "Um...I'm sorry about this."

The Angels eyes narrowed at her but before he could say anything, she'd already pressed her lips to his. Her hand went unnoticed into the Angels coat as she grabbed his blade. When the blade was in her hands, she ended the kiss. She wasn't expecting for the Angel to grab her by her waist, spin her around and slam her back against the wall. She was definately _not_ expecting him to slam his lips down onto hers. Instinctively, she wrapped her arms around his neck as one of his hands slipped into her hair. She opened her mouth when she felt him trying to deepen the kiss. She moaned into his mouth as his tongue slipped into her mouth. She quickly found herself getting lost in the kiss, everyone in the background faded out of existence. Castiel found himself getting lost in the Demons kiss too. It had only been a few hours ago he had been watching porn on tv. He found himself wanting to recreate the scene when she kissed him. He hadn't expected the Demon to be so gentle but she was and it only made Cas want to bring out the Demon in her. They kissed for what seemed like an eternity before finally seperating. Castiel felt satisfaction when he glanced back at her. Her pupils were dilated and her cheeks had turned a rosy pink. He felt strangely smug knowing that it had been _him_ that had made her this way. "I learned that from the pizza man," he explained.

"Woah! Best kiss I've ever had." She admitted.

Castiel smirked at her, his eyes moving up and down her body.

"Okay, we ready to go now or what?" Dean interrupted.

Krystal watched as the others disappeared. She waited for the Hellhounds to get through the door before she attacked. She managed to hit a few of them but was thrown on her back. She screamed as one of them managed to pin her down, clawing into her skin. Once she was down, they all pounced on her at once. Tears slipped down her cheeks as they tore into her body. She felt nothing but agony. Blood pooled around her. When the Hellhounds finally decided enough was enough, they turned around and ran away. Krystal coughed, spitting blood onto the floor. She didn't know how but somehow she was able to roll onto her stomach to see a pair of boots standing in front of her. She looked up slowly, expecting to see another Demon but was overjoyed to see it was Castiel. Her vision was hazy and she felt tired. She hadn't realize she'd closed her eyes until she felt someone picking her up and a gentle voice telling her to open her eyes. She groaned in pain and annoyance. Why couldn't they just let her sleep?

"Wake up!"

She opened her eyes to see a pair of blue ones staring into her. "You were...supposed to be with the others," she said through gritted teeth.

Castiel looked down at her. "I was but I was banished by an Angel Sigil."

Krystal's eyes closed once more. "You okay? Hope it didn't hurt...that much," she murmured.

Castiel stopped abruptly and looked down at her in wonder. "Demons aren't supposed to feel but yet _you_ can. You show concern and worry to others. How are you doing that?" He asked in awe.

* * *

They found Meg and the Winchesters at the mercy of Crowley. Crowley had the hunters pinned against the wall. He held up the Demon knife to Meg. "Leave them alone," Castiel demanded, grabbing their attention.

Crowley's eyebrows raised. "Castiel. I didn't think you were one to carry Demons. Be a good boy and hand her over," he smirked cruely.

Castiel felt Krystal burrow herself into his coat. "I don't think so. Why would you care about some Demon anyway?"

"It's not _her_ I'm interested in. It's her soul," he explained.

Castiel remembered Lucifer saying something about her soul. Why was her soul so important? "What do you want with her soul?" He questioned.

Instead of answering, Crowley's eyes darted to Castiel's hands. "What's in the bag?"

Castiel dropped the bag, eyes still on Crowley. " _You_ are," he replied darkly.

"Not possible."

"You didn't hide your bones as well as you thought."

Crowley clapped. He clicked his fingers, releasing the hunters from his power. "Cookie for you."

"Can you restore Sam's soul or not?"

Not seeing a way out, Crowley hesitated. "If there is anything else I can-"

"Answer him!" Dean shouted.

Crowley stayed silent for a few seconds, eyes never leaving the Angel. "No."

Castiel's gaze turned from Crowley to the bag. The bag suddenly lit up in flames and Crowley screamed as his bones were destroyed, killing him. Krystal stared at the Angel in awe. Meg backed away, a satisfied smile on her face. Dean bent down to pick up the blade only to find Meg had disappeared. "Well she's smart, I'll give her that." He turned around and caught sight of Krystal still in Castiel's arms. "Cas, put her down!" He barked. "She's a Demon. Kill her now!"

Krystal instantly began to struggle in Castiel's grip. She was weak from the attack. She ignored the pain as she tried to push out of his arms and disappear. Castiel only held on tighter. Dean was about to stab her when Castiel's voice made him stop. "Dean, stop!"

Dean stared at him incrediously. "Are you insane? She's a Demon! We kill Demons. Why are you protecting her?"

Castiel looked down at Krystal's trembling form. "She helped us. She's not like the others. Leave her be!" As gently as he could, Castiel put Krystal down. "Go!" He commanded to her. Not needing to be told twice, she did as she was told. At their request, he then took care of the prison, killing all of the monsters inside. After that, he disappeared back off to the war. He couldn't help but spare a moment to think about the Demons who helped them. Specifically one who showed him emotions. He smiled to himself, hoping this won't be the last he sees of her.

Little did he know, he would get his wish.


	4. Reborn

Krystal was tired. She had been running and avoiding other Demons. Ever since Crowley had told them about her soul they had been trying to hunt her down so they could torture her in the hopes it would corrupt her completely. Krystal however, didn't want this and had been using countless spells and warding symbols to repel them. Meg had tried to help, had insisted they stay together but she had refused, not wanting to put the other Demon in danger. She was currently hiding out in an abandoned house. She had managed to narrowly avoid being stabbed. She closed her eyes and tried to push down her humanity. Lately it was getting harder to do it, making Krystal wonder why. Unfortunately, she didn't have the time or luxury to find out. She closed her eyes and reached out, trying to find Meg's dark essence. Her eyes snapped open and she disappeared. She reappeared in a car. She was surprised to find her with Dean. Dean swerved when he saw her face in the mirror. He turned around and glared, pointing at Krystal. "What the hell? I swear if I end up crashing my baby, I'm gonna kill you," he snapped. Krystal tilted her head. She looked to Meg for help only to find the Demon smirking. Krystal was rather surprised to see Castiel looking at her in curiosity. She was about to open her mouth when Dean stopped her. He shook his head almost violently. Krystal stared at him, not understanding what he was trying to say. She felt a hand grab her arm.

"He doesn't know who he is. He doesn't remember who we are. He's still an Angel but he doesn't have a damn clue. We're taking him to Sam to see if he can heal him."

Krystal nodded in understanding.

"So I suppose you want something too?" Dean asked suddenly.

Krystal frowned. "Sorry, what? No, why would I want something?"

"Cause Demons usually do. Meg wants protection from Crowley, that's why she's here. What are you here for?"

Krystal's eyes lit up, remembering why she had come. She turned to Meg. "I wanted to make sure you were okay. They can't find me at the moment so it's safe."

Meg nodded in understanding.

"Who's looking for you?" Dean demanded.

"Crowley told the other Demons about me. Now they're all chasing me in the hopes they can turn me completely." Krystal felt weird. She felt like she was being watched. She looked up to see she was. Castiel was staring at her like she was something new and interesting. It made her uncomfortable.

"Hello," he said. His voice was as deep and gruff as she remembered it. It sent shivers down her spine.

"Hello," she replied softly.

"Woah, hold on. You freak out when you see Meg's face but you don't freak when you see hers? What gives?"

Castiel squinted. "Meg's a Demon," he said.

"So is she," Dean pointed out.

"Barely," Castiel replied instantly.

"Waddya mean barely?"

"It's like...right now, she's more human than Demon. I can hardly see her true face."

Dean glanced back at her suspiciously. "Right..."

The rest of the ride to the hospital was quiet. Meg sighed in annoyance when she realized the people outside of the hospital were all Demons. No doubt guarding the place because of Sam. "Damnit, Demons."

"All of them?" Dean asked.

"No grass growing under your feet."

"How many of those knives do you have?" Castiel asked nervously.

"Just the one."

"Then forgive me but what do we do?"

"Yeah, Dean. Any ideas on how we can _blast_ our way through?"

Dean gritted his teeth. He signaled for Meg to follow him, leaving Castiel and Krystal alone. Castiel stared at her, feeling awkward and unsure of what to say. To his relief, she gave him an opening.

"Sorry, what was your name?"

"Emmanual," he said quietly.

She smiled at him. "Hi, I'm Krystal."

He smiled back. Do I...know you?" He asked tentively.

She hesitated. "I don't know. Do you?"

"It feels like I do but I just can't remember. You seem familliar."

Krystal knew this was a bad idea but she did it anyway. Ignoring his questioning look, she pressed herself close to him. She heard the hitch in his breath and gently pressed her lips to his. He froze but it didn't worry her. She only pressed her lips more firmly against his. After a few moments, he relaxed and began to kiss back. He pulled her closer to him, one hand slipping into her hair, the other on her waist. She tilted her head, allowing him to deepen the kiss. She moaned into his mouth as she began to feel more confident. He moaned when she pressed him against a tree, her tongue caressing his. They were interrupted by Dean who coughed awkwardly. Both pulled back, looking anywhere but at the other. Krystal ignored the conversation between Castiel and Dean choosing instead to watch as the Angel made his way towards the hospital. Bright white light erupted from their vessels as he killed them one by one. When he was done, they made their way slowly down the hill towards him. He didn't react when Meg spoke.

"Cas?" Dean tried.

Castiel slowly turned around, his expression grim. "I remember you. I remember everything. Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because Sam's dying in there!"

"Because of me!" Castiel snapped back harshly. "All these people. I shouldn't be here." Dean told them to stay behind while he spoke to Cas. After a while, they returned, Castiel wearing his usual trench coat. Krystal thought he was going to ignore her but instead he stopped in front of her. Before she had a chance to protest, he grabbed her hair, pulling her head back. He slammed her into a wall and pressed his body to hers. She reacted by pulling him even closer letting him crush his lips to hers. He kissed her passionately. His hands went to her hips, his thumbs caressing the skin exposed. He bit her lip gently and she opened her mouth, taking the hint. Heat surged through her body like never before. Castiel's mouth went to her neck, pressing kisses up and down. Her moans only served to turn him on. As an Angel, Castiel had never felt like this - had never felt the need to. And now here he was, doing it with a Demon no less! Only she wasn't just any Demon. Eventually they pulled away. Castiel fought the urge to kiss her again. Her eyes were liddled with lust and he lips were swollen slightly from their activities. They stood there staring at each other, their gazes never leaving the other. Castiel was the first to pull away. He blushed before disappearing into the hospital.

* * *

Trying to avoid the questions she knew they were going to ask, she followed after him. They met in Sam's room. Krystal listened as Castiel explained he was no longer able to heal Sam because of the wall completely breaking.

"So this is it then? He's gonna be like this until his cannon blows out?"

Castiel looked away in shame and guilt. "I'm sorry. This isn't a problem I can make disappear, you know that." He glanced at Sam, an idea forming in his mind. "Maybe I can shift it."

"Shift?"

"Yeah, would get Sam back on his feet." He walked over and sat beside Sam who flinched back in fear. He looked back at Dean. "Don't worry about me, I'll be fine. It's better this way."

"Woah, Cas. What are you doing?"

But Castiel ignore him in favour of talking to Sam. Krystal closed her eyes, trying to think of a way to help the hunter without Castiel taking anything from him. Her eyes snapped open, another idea coming to her. Castiel was about to touch Sam when Krystal called out. "Stop! I have an idea that will work."

Castiel looked around in disbelief. "I highly doubt that."

"Move and I'll show you." Reluctantly, Castiel did as she asked. She turned to Meg, a small, sad smile on her face. "You've always been there for me, Meg. Believe it or not, your my best friend."

Meg's eyes narrowed suspiciously. This sounded like a goodbye. Meg didn't like it. "What are you doing?" She snapped.

"I think you know what I'm doing," she whispered sadly.

Meg's eyes widened in horror. "No, you can't!" She rushed forwards to stop her but Krystal was faster. She used her power to throw Meg against the wall. "Krystal. Krystal! Stop! You don't know what this'll do to you!"

"I think I'll take my chances," she said softly, not looking at anyone.

"Woah, okay what are _you_ gonna do?" Dean asked, grabbing her.

"What I have to," she replied cryptically. She took a deep breath and brought her soul to the surface. She would need it for what she was about to do. She was about to open her mouth when she heard a voice behind her.

"I'll look after you," Meg promised.

Krystal nodded. Smoke poured out of her mouth and into Sam's. Sam's eyes turned black. Dean was horrified. "What the hell is she doing? How is she doing that? Sam has a tattoo to stop Demons possessing him!"

Meg rolled her eyes. "Haven't you realized by now that she's not a normal Demon? She can do things _we_ can't do."

"Get her out!" Dean snapped.

"No! Whatever she's doing, it'll help."

Sam's back arched in pain. Krystal could feel her soul soaking up all of Sam's insanity. When the transfer was complete, she went back to her body. As soon as she left him, Sam's eyes focused. "Dean?" He asked quietly.

"Sam?" Dean rushed to his brother's side.

"What happened?"

Hysterical laughter cut of anything Dean was about to say. They turned to see Krystal laughing. Her eyes flickered from normal to black and back again. It made Dean feel uneasy. "Would you stop doing that?"

Suddenly, with a cry, Krystal collapsed on her hands and knees. She was panting hard as she tried to block out the memories. She shivered in fear. Sam rushed forwards but Meg held him back. "No! Stay back! Trust me, you don't wanna go anywhere near her when she's like this!"

"What do you mean?"

"She took your insanity. Now she's fighting to keep hers. It's a fight I doubt she'll win."

"How can a Demon take someone's insanity?"

"She's not a normal Demon!"

The room began to shake causing them to look around in a panic.

"What's happening?"

Meg's eyes were on Krystal, who sat on her knees rocking back and forth. Lights flickered on and off and the doors rattled harshly. Everyone flinched as Krystal let out a terrified scream. "My head," she whimpered. "Too much pain. Can't take it. Please no...don't wanna remember."

Meg was horrified. Was Sam's insanity causing her human memories to resurface? If that was the case, this was worse than she'd first thought. "Oh Krystal," she mumured. "What have you done?" Castiel was horrified. This wasn't supposed to happen. _He_ was supposed to take Sam's insanity, not her. But she had. He couldn't believe a Demon had willingly taken on someone else's pain just because they could. But now she was suffering. Because she was a Demon, Castiel wouldn't be able to pull the insanity from her like he had planned with Sam. All he could do now was watch as she broke apart. This was supposed to be his punishment, his repentance for the things he'd done in Heaven and on Earth. It was _his_ fault Sam was in that state, he deserved it. Meg turned to Dean. "Go check her in. She's gonna need to stay here."

Dean nodded, his eyes softening at the now broken sight of the Demon who had surprisingly saved his brother. Castiel wanted to pull the nurses away from Krystal as they strapped her down on the bed. Both Meg and Castiel volunteered to stay behind to look after Krystal.

Sam and Dean left to deal with the Leviathans.


	5. An Angels sorrow

Castiel stood by Krystal's bed, watching her unseen. The only people who knew he was even there were Meg, Krystal and himself. Meg had stayed behind so she could get a job looking after the broken Demon. Castiel stayed behind because he blamed himself for her condition and couldn't bare to face Sam and Dean at the moment. Castiel and Meg took turns watching over her. When Meg left to do her rounds with the other patients, Castiel was there to watch over her. They immediately saw the change in her when Krystal woke up. She sat up, tilting her head at them before grinning at them. They didn't know how to react when she ran up to them, pulling them into a hug. When she pulled back, her eyes were wide with excitement. "Did you know that lions are the second largest big cat species in the world behind tigers?" She asked cheerfully. "Ohh, can we get a cat? Or a kitten?" Her eyes lit up. "Please," she begged looking at them both like they were her parents. Castiel felt confused and uncomfortable. He didn't know how to react towards her. It was obvious she wasn't in the right mind anymore. She seemed to have regressed into a childlike state. They watched in amusment as she jumped up and down on her bed.

"Okay, you watch her while I get her something to eat," Meg said heading to the door.

"Demons don't need to eat," he pointed out. But Meg either couldn't hear him or ignored him. He sighed as Krystal disappeared. He followed her. He found her in the garden picking flowers to make crowns. Castiel didn't hesitate to move closer to her. It was obvious she wasn't a threat to him. Never was, come to think about it. She grabbed his hand, picking up the crown. He allowed her to gently place the crown on his head.

"You look pretty," she stated.

He smiled at her. "Thank you," he said.

"Do you wanna play a game?" She asked him.

He looked at her sadly. Even her voice was different. More soft and childlike than Demons had the right to be. "What game?"

She thought for a moment. "Ohh, I know!" She squealed jumping up and down. "Catch me if you can!" She called before disappearing. Castiel had to smile at her playfulness. He never once thought in his existance that he would care for a Demon or play games with them but he just couldn't seem to help himself. He used his powers to locate her, appearing in front of her. "Hey! No fair. That's cheating!" She cried.

He tilted his head in facination. He didn't lie to Dean when he told him he could barely see her true face. He gasped as he caught sight of the pure part of her soul. How was that possible? How could a Demon have part of their soul uncorrupted like she did? He supposed it made sense though. It explained why she didn't act like other Demons did, why Crowley wanted her back at the prison - and now, it seemed. The thought of Crowley getting his hands on her and doing father knows what to her while in such a defenceless state made him want to destroy something. He calmed down, knowing even if Crowley found out where she was, he would have to get through another Demon AND an Angel. He needed to be calm. He knew he couldn't show anger around Krystal, not with how she was. He needed her to trust him. He snorted to himself. An _Angel_ trying to earn the trust of a _Demon_. If only the other Angels could see him now. He knew they would be ashamed. It wasn't just that either. Why _should_ she trust him? He'd killed thousands of Angels and hundreds of humans while he claimed to be God. He winced at _that_ thought. He didn't want to be thinking of any of that. Instead, he focused all of his attention on the Demon who once helped him and saved his friend. It was his job to look after her. His job to care for her. He was her caretaker. As was Meg but Castiel pushed that thought away.

"Krystal, food!" Meg called, catching her attention. Krystal grinned and stood up. She ran back to her room. Meg was already there waiting for them. She pointed to a plate. Pizza and chips. Krystal climbed on the bed and picked up a slice of the pizza. She moaned as she bit into it, making Castiel blush as the memories of them kissing sprang to mind. Meg caught this and smirked. "What are you thinking about, Clarence?" She teased.

Castiel avoided looking at her. "Nothing," he denied.

"Right, so you're _not_ thinking about the kiss you two shared?"

"It's a good memory," he replied defensively.

"I'm surprised she even let you kiss her after everything." Castiel gave her a sharp look. She rolled her eyes at this. "Not because of you, dummy."

"Then why?"

"Because of her memories of her time being human."

Castiel's eyebrows forrowed in confusion. "She remembers her time as a human?"

"Sometimes."

"What happened?"

Meg stayed silent for a few moments. "When I first found her, she was human, on the brink of insanity and trying to kill herself."

Castiel's head snapped to her. "Why?"

"She killed them. All of them. Those men that had been keeping her trapped. They were using her for her body."

Castiel felt his blood run cold. Fury and rage burned through his veins and he wanted nothing more than to kill those men. What she was implying was clear to the Angel and it sickened him to his core. No one should have to go through that. He was more determined than ever that he would protect her. Looking at her now, he couldn't imagine the horror she had to face. This Demon, who literally appeared in his life made him _want_ to be better. She showed him in her own way that there was another choice, much like the Winchester's did. Silence filled the room as she finished her food. She held the plate out. "Finished! See?"

"I do see," Meg said, taking her plate. "Stay here. Clarence will protect you."

Krystal nodded. "Can we get a cat?" She said suddenly, making Meg freeze.

Meg sighed to herself as she left the room. "Damnit Krystal! The things I do for you." When she returned, she found Castiel sitting next to her on the bed listening to her intently.

"Did you know Jaguars are solitary animals that live and hunt alone except during mating season?"

Castiel shook his head, interest clear in his blue eyes. Meg took a deep breath and walked in waiting for the excited screams she knew would come. Meg had gone out to an animal shelter. She had found a cute black kitten and quickly adopted it. As soon as her eyes landed on the little black furball she squealed, jumping up and down. "Okay, okay, down girl," Meg said.

She handed the furball to Krystal, who looked at it in adoration. "It's so cute. What's it's name? Is it a girl or boy?"

"Hasn't got one. And it's a boy." Krystal reached out and gently stroked the kitten. The kitten purred happily making the Demon grin. "All yours kid," Meg said, handing it to her.

Castiel had never seen such happiness in a person much less a Demon. She hugged Meg. "Thank you Tammy," she said. "I'm gonna call you... Simba."

Meg stiffened in surprise. Her eyes turned black before going back to normal. Castiel didn't understand. Who was Tammy? Did she just make a mistake when she called Meg that? He shook his head, clearing his mind. It didn't matter. He watched captivated by the way the Demon handled the animal. Demons were made to kill and cause pain and suffering but this one did nothing but help people, care for them and defend them when necessary. It pulled him in and he found he was unable to resist the pull. As the days went on, Castiel found himself relaxing more and more. He enjoyed looking after the Demon even if she wasn't aware of it herself. Castiel guessed that her childlike state was the result of her withdrawing into her mind to avoid the pain and suffering, bringing out a less stable side of herself. He had to admit to himself, looking after her made him feel good. It felt good to be needed. He didn't feel as useless as he did before when he remembered who he was. While he had the chance, he observed her closely. Her vessel was beautiful, he had to admit. Her long, dark hair cascaded down her back. Her milky skin flawless. Castiel was ashamed to say that he couldn't stop thinking about their shared kisses. He had never been intimate before but he found himself liking it. He found himself hoping he could find a way to change her back.

But for now, he was content with protecting a broken down Demon in a mental hospital.


	6. Warnings

**The next chapter will have some dark themes. Do NOT read if triggered.**

 **Torture, violence, flashbacks and dark memories and probable non-con (not sure yet. If that's not in the next chapter it will come up later).**


	7. A look into Krystal

Castiel was busy watching Krystal when the Winchester's called Meg. He was more than surprised and stiffened when she told him they had found a tablet and were now on their way to them. He thought about disappearing just so he wouldn't have to face them but he didn't want to leave Meg and Krystal behind. He didn't think Krystal was in the right state to deal with Dean's anger right now. The thoughts of Dean made him feel uncomfortable, shame filling him to the core. He wasn't sure if they would forgive him for what he did and he didn't expect them to but at the same time, it devastated the Angel.

The Winchester's were the only family he had and while he didn't want to face them, he would. He sighed shakily, returning his attention to the regressed Demon in his care that was currently playing with a kitten. A small, genuine smile crept across his face as he watched the scene with fondness. His smile faded as footsteps approached their room and he instantly went ridged as Dean and Sam appeared around the corner with Meg.

"Cas?" Dean nodded curtly.

Castiel nodded back stiffly. "Dean. Sam," he nodded at the younger Winchester, a slightly softer tone in his voice.

"Hey, Castiel," Sam smiled back.

"Listen," Dean interrupted. "We found something that we need you to take a look at."

Castiel nodded curtly. "Meg told me you found a tablet."

"Yes, we-"

A giggle cut Dean off from whatever he was going to say, making them all turn to look at the person responsible. Krystal lay on the bed withering, her laughter filling the room as the small kitten tickled her sensitive skin with his fur. More giggles erupted as Simba purred, his head butting against her cheek, his claws kneeding into her top. "Stop, Simba! That tickles!" She cried.

Dean's eyebrows raised in question. "Simba? Really? And since when do you have a kitten?"

"It's not mine. Meg brought him for Krystal. She named him. He's been keeping her company."

"Seriously? You do remember she _is_ a Demon, right? Demon's don't care about things like that. I'm surprised she hasn't killed it already. And who name's a cat Simba? What is this, the Lion King?"

Dean's harsh words stopped Krystal's laughter. She sat up on the bed. Both Meg and Castiel glanced at the Demon who was now staring blankly at them. Not liking that her attention had been taken away from him so easily, Simba continued to purr and rub himself against her but Krystal didn't react.

Castiel felt frustration and irritation towards Dean. He could understand his anger towards _him_ but why did he have to snap at her? She didn't deserve it and Castiel found himself wanting to put Dean in his place. "Leave her, Dean!" He said sharply.

"Really? You're gonna stick up for her? She's a Demon! She's not human, she can't feel! Haven't you learned your lesson the last few times when it came to working with Demon's? Huh? Ruby? Crowley? Are they not enough for you? Now you wanna do the same thing _again?"_

Dean's cold words made both Sam and Castiel freeze. They glared at him in frustration, anger and annoyance. Why did he have to keep bringing up their past mistakes? "That's enough, Dean!" Sam snapped.

Dean rolled his eyes. "Of course _you_ would be on their side, Sammy. You love Demon's."

Sam's eyes hardened at his cruel words. "Oh and you're so innocent, aren't you? Or are you forgetting something? It was _you_ who broke the first seal. Without that, the Apocalypse would never have happened. Not to mention the torturing you did down there. You don't really have any room to judge _us_ when you're not exactly perfect yourself. I think she's more than proved herself when she took my insanity and Cas did what he did cause he needed to. He didn't have many options back then so he went with what he had!" He sneered back.

Castiel was stunned by Sam's speech. Sam had been the last person he had expected to stick up for him. His words touched the Angel deeply. Dean glared at Sam, who glared back. Tension filled the room.

"If you're gonna fight, I suggest you take it somewhere else," Meg said. "We don't have time for it and Krystal doesn't need to hear it."

"Oh what? She can't take it? What the hell kinda Demon is she anyway? She's useless-"

"Dean, stop!" Castiel growled in warning, taking a threatening step towards him.

But Dean ignored him. "Come to think of it, she was kinda useless back when we dealt with Crowley and his Hellhounds. She wasn't much use then either," he taunted. "What the hell is she good for? Hmm? Torture? Killing?...Sex?"

Meg gasped at this. Castiel froze. Meg slowly turned to look at Krystal hoping she hadn't heard the end of his sentence. Krystal stiffened on the bed, her eyes wide with slight fear and pain. Images flashed through her mind and her breathing hitched as she began to panic. Her eyes darted around the room. Instead of disappearing the way she usually would, Krystal stood up and ran out of the room. Her footsteps echoed down the hallway.

Castiel was beyond furious. He grabbed Dean, slamming the hunter up against the wall. "How _dare_ you talk to her that way? How _dare_ you make those disgusting comments about her? I am well aware of who and what she is. If you're going to be angry at someone, it should be me, not her. You don't know her, you haven't seen her soul. Talk to her that way again and I'll make you regret it!" His voice was dark and full of promise as he released the hunter who stared at him wide eyed in disbelief and shock. "I think you should leave," Castiel said quietly. Without waiting for a reply, he silently picked Simba up from the bed and stalked out of the room to find Krystal.

He found Krystal kneeling on the ground outside, rocking back and forth, her hands pulling at her hair. It was dark out but he could still see her. He crouched down in front of her. "Krystal?" He called softly.

Her head snapped up, startled. Confusion, fear and insanity flashed through her eyes. She flinched back, her body shaking. She turned her head and caught sight of some rusty, metal chains on the ground. She crawled over and grabbed them. She shakily held out the chains to him. He frowned in confusion and concern. His eyes darkened and his body went rigid as realisation dawned on him as she pulled up the back of her top, revealing her bare back. She closed her eyes and waited.

Fury and hatred filled him. He wanted to hunt all those that had clearly caused her such pain in her human life and make them pay. He felt vengeful and wanted nothing more than to run his Angel blade through them. He took a deep breath and calmed himself down. Being angry wouldn't help, he knew that. He looked at the chains, feeling sick. It was obvious what she was expecting him to do and it sickened him to the core.

He slowly reached out to her but stopped halfway, stunned as a tear slipped down her cheek. He had never seen a Demon cry before. Everyday he spent with her, Castiel learnt something new. She fascinated him to no end. She was interesting. No matter what Dean said or claimed, this wasn't fake. This was real. There was no way a Demon could fake something like this. They didn't know the feeling. "I'm not going to hurt you, Krystal. I just need to see," he whispered soothingly as his hands went to either side of her face. He closed his eyes in concentration as he brought her memories to the surface. If he was going to help her, he needed to understand what he was dealing with. That meant looking through her memories. She struggled against him but he was too strong.

"No! Please!" She begged.

 _Flashback_

 _Krystal leant against the wall naked and chained. Her body was covered in bruises and blood. The bruises on her body ranged from purple to black. It was a horrifying sight to see. She was shaking, soft sobs filled the room. The room itself was bare except for a single bed. Suddenly, the door opened and Krystal flinched violently, her eyes wide with terror. Four men walked into the room. The grinned maliciously at her. One grabbed her by her arm, she tried to struggle but that only made him hit her. "Stupid bitch. Haven't you learned your lesson?" He sneered at her. He threw her to the floor and kicked her in the stomach. She cried out in pain. "I think she needs a reminder," he chuckled._

 _Krystal shook her head quickly. "No, I'm fine. I'll be good, I promise," she pleaded._

 _"Too late."_

 _The man bent down to pick up the chains. He signalled to the others who nodded and grabbed her. They grabbed each arm, giving the first man the perfect position. "Hold her," her ordered. The men did as instructed and held her so she couldn't escape. Castiel felt the urge to run away from the tormented scream she released as the chains impacted on her bare skin. Blood dripped down her back but that didn't stop them. The man brought the chains down again and again until her body was shaking violently from their assault. When they decided she'd finally had enough, they threw her onto the ground. A thin layer of sweat coated her forehead and she whimpered in agony._

 _Castiel could see she was in too much pain to move. Unfortunately for her, they were far from done. The man who had whipped her, pushed her onto her stomach and held her down. Another moved to pull out a hot iron. Castiel watched in horror as he pressed the hot metal against her skin. She thrashed and screamed but they didn't stop their vicious attack. Her flesh made hissing noises and the smell of burnt flesh filled the room. Tears streamed down her face. When they were done, they turned her over so she was lying on her back. The pain was unbearable but she didn't the energy to fight. With a cruel smirk, he tugged at his trousers. Castiel's eyes widened in disgust and rage as he spread her legs, knowing exactly what their intentions were. "You deserve this," he told her, pulling at her hair. "You're nothing but a useless whore, a pretty little fucktoy that we can use whenever we want. And there's nothing you can do about it! The only thing you're good for is sex." She cried out as he slammed her head down onto the concrete floor. A sickening crack filled the room._

 _She was barely conscious now, Castiel could see. Blood trickled from her mouth. As much as he didn't want to watch what he knew would happen next, Castiel forced himself to. With a loud grunt, the man entered her forcefully. Castiel was surprised and saddened when she barely reacted. He guessed it was because of the amount of pain she was already in, that and by her lack of reaction, he guessed it wasn't the first time this had happened. Castiel tried to suppress the rage and heartbreak he felt as the sound of skin slapping against skin filled the room. Moans and grunts of pleasure also echoed around the room. "Fuck...bitch is still tight...even after...all the sex," he panted, thrusting into her broken body. "Ah...oh yeah...fuck yeah...fucking slut...taking it like a good little whore." Castiel felt helpless, he couldn't do anything to stop this. He wanted nothing more than to rip the vile man off of her and take her away but he couldn't. The rape lasted about 10 minutes. With one last cry, he slammed into her, his body shaking from the pleasure._

 _Castiel looked away, realizing that the man had just orgasmed inside of her. The man grunted as he pulled himself out of her abused body. Blood and semen slipping out of her. The man stood up and looked down at her in satisfaction. He signalled to the others and grinned. "She's all yours boys," he said. Castiel's eyes widened in disbelief. Wasn't that enough for them? They had already tortured her enough. Wasn't that enough for them? By the way the others were quickly stripping, he guessed not. Another took the place of the first man._

 _He moaned as he brutally impaled himself into her. She gasped and moaned in pain but other than that she didn't react. He didn't waste any time in driving into her. The force of his thrusts made her body move. Her breasts bounced with every thrust he made. He panted and grunted as he continued his brutal rape. By this time, Castiel knew she wasn't aware of what was going on. She had disconnected herself from the violence they were inflicting on her and for that, Castiel was glad. He was grateful that she wasn't aware as they continued to take turns using her._

 _When they were finally satisfied, they left the room, locking the door behind them and leaving her laying in a pool of blood and semen. Not that it mattered. She was in too much pain to move let alone escape. Her body shook from the cold and the torture they had inflicted on her. Castiel crouched down beside her. He felt disgust and horror at their brutal torture. Sorrow and pain filled his eyes as empty eyes stared vacantly at the wall. He silent reached out to place his hand on hers but recoiled. She was freezing! It was like touching a block of ice! Her lips were a bluey-purple colour and her skin was a sickly pale. He bit back the rage inside. Blood pooled from her head and back_

 _End of flashback_

How could a human do that to another human? He didn't understand. He didn't understand why humans could be intentionally heartless and cruel to others for no reason. Amazement and wonder filled him. Despite all the pain and torture inflicted on her, the Krystal he had grown to know still took time to help them. He silently vowed to himself that she wouldn't suffer in silence anymore. He was there and he would take care of her the way she deserved to be cared for. Because he understood now. He understood why she was the way she was. Her soul was still suffering even after all this time.

Her acts of good and kindness put even Angel's to shame. A Demon willingly helping others while having to remember their own painful past as a human, put even the highest of Angel's to shame. He thought of his brothers and sisters and how they treated humanity with ignorance and hostile. They didn't care for humanity, had even gone so far as to try to destroy them, to cleanse them from the Earth and yet...this simple Demon had strove to do the exact opposite despite knowing what she was.

She truly was one of a kind. Her trauma could have made her hateful, destructive and deadly but it didn't. Castiel had to admit, when he had first met her, he was suspicious and mistrustful of her seemingly caring yet affectionate behaviour to them. He thought she was trying to manipulate them into letting her close like Ruby had done with Sam. As time went on and they met again in Crowley's hideout, she once again showed her caring, compassionate side that no Demon should possess. And yet, he got the feeling that it wasn't a trick but was just genuine care.

That was why he had gone back for her in the first place. He had found her almost unconscious and bleeding on the floor. He had picked her up and carried her in his arms. He was stunned when she asked if he was alright after he explained he had been banished and had observed her closely when she showed her concern for him, trying to see if it really was just a trick but he could tell it wasn't. Her concern had been real and it had stunned him. He felt rage spark when Crowley had threatened her with torture but didn't show it. He refused to let Dean kill her with the knife after, feeling anger as he lunged at her. Instead, he had put her down and told her to go. He had been glad when she listened to him.

Now that he bothered to see, he could see the anguish and sorrow in her soul. He felt overcome with a need to hold her and fight away all of her pain, insecurities and doubt until there was nothing left of them. But he couldn't...could he? Doing that would require getting close to her physically and mentally and he wasn't entirely sure she would let him. But the more he thought about it, the more he wanted to. He wanted to be the one to bring this Demon out of the darkness. He wanted to be the one to protect and care for her. The one she relied on and trusted. He wanted that. But where to start?

He looked down at her when he heard a gasp. He gently wrapped an arm around her shaking form as she fell into the Angel's lap. "I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry," he mumured to her as he gently rocked her back and forth. He pulled her closer to him, ignoring her obvious resistance. "You didn't deserve what they did to you. They were evil and wrong. No one will ever touch you like that again, I promise." He vowed. He could feel hot tears soaking his shirt but he didn't care. She needed this. She needed to let it out. She'd been keeping it locked in for a long time now. It was time to let it out.

They stayed like that for what felt like an eternity. When she finally pulled away enough to look at him, she looked away, shame in her eyes. "I'm s-sorry," she stuttered tiredly, her voice low and hoarse from crying.

Castiel shook his head. "Never apologize for how you feel. You've been holding onto this for a very long time and I'm honoured that it was me you chose to let see you like this." His hand moved to wipe her tears away but he stopped before he could touch her, waiting for permission. She nodded hesitantly but it was enough for him. He softly wiped away the remaining tears. He picked up Simba, who during the whole time Castiel had been looking through her memories, had been sitting nearby, watching.

She took him gratefully and Simba purred, happy to be in his owners warm arms once again. Castiel glanced back at the hospital and sighed. "We should go back. Meg will be worried about you." He held out a hand and waited to see if she would take it. She did. He helped her to her feet but didn't let go of her.

"Why are you helping me? Why do you care? You're an Angel. Aren't you supposed to not care?" She asked quietly.

"Because you don't deserve it. I've seen you, you've helped us a few times. You may be a Demon but you're not evil. I'm sorry I didn't see it before. You deserve peace and happiness and I'm more than happy to help you if you need it." He replied patiently.

"But they said-"

His eyes darkened. "They were wrong! They were vile, evil men who deserved the worst parts of Hell for what they did to you." He snapped dangerously. "You are loved and cared for. You may be broken but you don't deserve that. You are NOT a whore or a toy that others can use. You are not useless in anyway no matter what anyone says. I don't want to hear you say anything bad about yourself again. Understood?" He growled.

She nodded meekly.

"Good."

And with that, they walked back into the hospital.


	8. Angel attack

Castiel's eyes narrowed at the sight of Dean. After learning what he had, he didn't want the older hunter anywhere near Krystal. His behaviour was disgusting and for a moment, it ashamed Castiel to know that he considered this man a friend. He glared at Dean defiantly, as if daring the man to say something else. Dean looked down in shame. _Good._ He deserved that at least. Instinctively, his hand grabbed Krystal's wrist and pulled her closer to him, as if to protect her and froze. He sucked in a deep breath and turned to look at her warily. He half expected her to panic again and run away again but thankfully, she didn't. Her eyes were on his hand, her expression almost unreadable. Almost. He was about to let go when he felt a hand touch his. He looked down. He looked back up to her face and his eyes softened. Dean paused, looking between the two. His eyes widened at the sight and he fought the urge to throw up, disgust filling him. This was Ruby all over again, he was sure of it. Only this time, instead of Sam it was Cas. He knew Cas was right about what he had said and he should just lay off but he couldn't help it. His instincts were telling him to kill her before something else happened. He was a hunter, she was a Demon, everyone knew how the story went. Instead of openingly venting out his anger, he glowered at them. He couldn't stop the bitterness from rising. Krystal gazed into Castiel's eyes, unable to look away even if she wanted to. She had to admit, the vessel he was using was perfect for him. He was beautiful in every way and not just his vessel but himself. The Angel within. She smiled shyly at him, happy when he returned it. "Thank you," she whispered.

He responded by stroking her cheek. Her eyes closed at his gentle touch. It had been so long since she'd been touched like this and she didn't realize until that moment just how much she had been craving it. His touch was nothing like _theirs_. Their touch was cold and cruel, their intentions were to hurt as much as they possibly could. His touch soothed her broken, mangled soul. Suddenly, he let go and gripped her chin. Her eyes snapped open to look at him. His eyes darkened in frustration, sending shivers down her spine. He pulled her closer to him so that they were almost touching with their bodies. "What did I tell you?" His voice deeper than usual. "Your soul is _not_ mangled nor is it dark. You are stronger than you think, whether you realize it or not. Most people would go insane from the things you've had to endure. Stop putting yourself down!" She didn't know how to respond to that so she looked down at her feet. His eyes softened and he sighed. "I'm sorry. I just couldn't bare to listen to your thoughts anymore."

"I'm sorry," she said sadly.

He shook his head. "Don't apologize."

Dean let out a cough. The sickingly sweet moment between them was making him sick. "Okay, if you two are done with this, there are more important things we _could_ be doing," he sneered. If looks could kill, Dean would be dead. Sam shot Dean a dark glare but said nothing. Unlike his brother, Sam understood. Cas's intentions were always pure just like his were supposed to be. No one ever said that the best intentions were always going to go down the right path. He knew that better than anyone. He could also see the relationship between Angel and Demon were developing. While he wasn't entirely happy it was with a Demon because it reminded him of Ruby, he was happy for them. Her saving him and getting rid of his insanity was yet another tick in his book for her. After all, she didn't have to save him.

He pulled the tablet out of the bag and handed it to Castiel. Castiel's eyes lit up in understanding. "This is the writing of Metatron," he told them.

"You're saying a transformer wrote this?"

"No, that's Megatron," Dean corrected.

"What?"

"The transformer? That's Megatron."

"What?"

"Anyway," Castiel said, clearing his throat. "Metatron. He's an Angel. He's the scribe of God. He took down dictation when Creation was being formed."

"And that's the Word of God?"

"One of them, yes."

"Uh...well, what's it say, then?"

"I don't know. I can't read it, it wasn't meant for Angels."

Dean rolled his eyes in irritation.

"Okay, this all sounds bad. What are you two jackasses doing with the Word of God? Let me see that thing." Meg moved towards Castiel.

"Back off, Meg!" Dean snapped rudely.

"Come on, it's my ass, too."

"Back off!"

"Damn it! Enough of this Demons are second-class citizens crap!" Meg snapped.

"Enough!" Castiel barked. "Stop arguing. Now's not the time for it." He walked out of the room.

"What are you guys caught up in now?" Meg asked. "I deserve to know, Sam." Sam ignored her. "Okay, fine. I'll hit the road, then. Let me just go get Krystal and her Angel."

She walked out of the room. Sam followed her. "Meg, what are you talking about? Stop."

Meg turned to face him and smirked. "If I go, Krystal comes with me and if Krystal comes with me, who do you think will follow? Hmm? See, during his time here, it seems that Castiel has taken quite a liking to her. He follows her everywhere like a lost little puppy."

"What about us? What about what he owes us?"

"I'm sure Krystal will work on him a little. Maybe he'll start crushing on you too, hot stuff."

Sam was about to retort when they heard a noise from Krystal's room. "What the hell?" When they got there, the tablet was gone. Meg's eyes turned black and she ran outside. Sam followed just in time to see her tackling a kid.

"Not a Demon nor a chomper. What the hell are you?"

"I'm a...K-Kevin Tran. I'm in advanced placement. P-p-please don't kill me." He whimpered.

"I'm not gonna kill you."

"I'm sorry."

Sam tried to take the bag but Kevin held on. "I-I'm sorry. I...I don't – I don't know why, but I can't let go of this. All I know is, this is – it's for me. I'm supposed to keep it."

"Good luck." Meg muttered.

"But you don't know what it is? Open it."

Kevin unzipped the bag and picked up the tablet. A flash of light emitted from the tablet.

* * *

Back in the hospital, Dean turned to Castiel, who was watching Krystal play with Simba, a fond expression on his face. "Cas? Where can we find this, uh, Metatron? Is he still alive?"

"I don't know," he shrugged.

"Great. Anything you do know?" He sneered.

Castiel looked away. "I'm sorry, Dean."

"No. You're playing sorry!" Dean snapped, his anger getting the better of him.

Castiel flinched at his anger. He didn't know what to say. Dean had a right to be pissed with him for what he did.

* * *

"It's writing." Kevin said, examining the tablet carefully.

"Yeah. Yeah, we get that." Sam dismissed.

"What's Leviathan?"

Sam stared at him in amazement. "Wait, You can read it? Is that what it says?"

"Sort of. It hurts a little. Like looking through somebody else's glasses, but I think it...it's about Leviathan, how it came to be. God locked them up far away, right? Like in jail...because they're so...they're...they're real, aren't they?"

Sam gave him a sad, sympathetic look. "Yeah, Kevin. They – they are. And they're here. Does it say anything about how to kill them? Cause that's – that's kind of been a problem."

"I don't know. It's not like reading reading. It – it's hard to focus on it too long."

"Sam. Something's up." Meg said suddenly, her eyes turning black.

"What?"

Kevin looked at Meg and screamed. He scrambled back in an effort to get away. "Kevin, hey, hey, hey. Kevin!"

The lights broke and a blonde woman appeared in the doorway. "Demon," she hissed, waving her hand, sending Meg flying into a wall.

* * *

In the day room, Castiel looked up, his eyes flashed in worry and concern. "What?"

"It's Sam. He's talking to Angels." Castiel grabbed Krystal's hand and they disappeared.

Back in Krystal's room, the Angel sneered at them in disgust. "A Demon whore and a Winchester...again." Sam took a step towards Kevin. "Step away from the Prophet!" She barked.

"Who, me?" Kevin squeaked in fear.

"Sole keeper of the word on earth, we are here to take you."

"What do you mean, "take"?"

"Kill the demon and her lover." The Angel commanded to the other Angel.

"That's not how it...we're not–" Sam protested.

The male Angel held out an arm, giving Meg an opportunity to slash at it with an Angel blade. Light poured from his wound and the blonde Angels eyes hardened in fury. "Where did you get that?!" She screeched.

There was a rustling of wings and they all turned to see Castiel holding onto Krystal. "Castiel?" The male Angel asked.

"Hello."

"You're alive?"

"You!" The blonde said.

"Hello, Hester."

"You smote thousands in Heaven. You gave a big, scary speech. Then you were gone. What the hell was that?!"

Castiel looked down in shame but didn't answer.

"Where have you been?"

The blonde's eyes narrowed and her gaze turned to Krystal. She snarled and pointed at the broken Demon. "He's been here, looking after a Demon of all things!" She yelled. She waved her hand, throwing Krystal against the door. Castiel's eyes widened and he glared at the blonde. "Leave her alone," he commanded darkly, helping Krystal to her feet.

She looked at him incrediously. "You are not serious. She is a Demon! Have you forgotten what you are? There was a time you killed Demons with no hesitation. Now you're protecting them! Look at yourself."

Before Castiel could respond, a voice called out, "Heads up, Sunshine." Dean slammed his hand on the banishing sigil he'd drawn while they were distracted. Light filled the room forcing the Angel's to vanish. Including Castiel and Krystal. "All Angels blown back to their corners. We got like three, four hours tops."

Sam pointed to the blade Meg was holding. "Meg, where did you get that?"

"A lot of Angels died this year." She shrugged as if it were obvious.

"What's happening?! What's happening?!"

"Who is that?"

"It's, uh...Kevin Tran. He's, uh, in advanced placement."

* * *

Castiel woke up to Krystal looking down at him. She held out her hand and he took it, allowing her to pull him to his feet. He looked at her sheepishly. "I'm sorry about that," he mumured. She looked around and began to panic. "What? What's wrong?" He asked quickly, hoping she wasn't experienced any more bad memories from her past.

"Simba! Where is he?" Castiel's eyebrows forrowed and he grabbed her hand. They landed back at the hospital. "Simba!" She called. A small head popped out from a corner and she sighed with relief. She bent down and picked the tiny kitten up. He purred happily in her arms, making her giggle.

"Let's go. We need to find the others."

Krystal pulled out a phone from her pocket and dialed. "Meg! Where are you?" She asked when Meg answered.

"We're on highway 94, north of St. Cloud, Minnesota, just passing mile marker 79." Meg stopped talking whe Castiel transported them inside the car.

"Aah!" Kevin cried.

"Kevin, this is Castiel and Krystal...and Simba."

"You're one of the Angels?"

"Yes. Meg, are you hurt?" He asked.

"Shut up."

"Cas, what happened back there? Who were those guys?" Dean asked.

"They're from the Garrison – my old Garrison. Looks like Hester's taken over. We were assigned to watch the earth. Often, it was boring. The wars were very boring and the sex, you know, the repetition. Anyway, I was, uh...I was their captain." Castiel explained.

"Cas, why are they pissed at us now?"

"Because of the Prophet, I assume. They're only following protocol. If the Word of God is revealed, a keeper of the Word will awaken. Garrison code dictates you take the keeper to the desert to learn the Word away from men."

"What kind of sense does that make? He has to tell us so that we can use it."

"I can't live in the desert. I-I'm applying to Princeton!"

"Okay, you know what? Screw the Garrison. We need the tablet to end Roman's Soylent Us crap."

"If you want the Word, you'll have to duck Hester and her soldiers."

"Yeah, you're in our corner, right, Cas?"

"Yes, I'm with you."

* * *

It was late at night and Castiel was busy drawing symbols on the walls in chalk. "Let's leave off Angel-proofing sigils or I'll be expelled, too."

"As long as we're invisible to your Garrison buddies, it works for me." Sam said. He hesitated before glancing at the Angel.

"What is it, Sam?"

"Um, I'm just worried."

"About?"

"About Krystal. About you."

Castiel looked up, startled. "What about me?"

"You were gonna take away my insanity."

"And yet, I didn't." Castiel pointed out bitterly.

"That's cause Kris beat you to it," Sam chuckled lightly.

"Kris?" That was twice he had heard that nickname now.

"Yeah...I heard Meg call her that before."

Neither noticed Meg leave the cabin.

"Don't worry, Cas. We'll help her. We'll help her get better."

* * *

Outside, Meg stopped in the middle of a road. Two truckers approached her. Their eyes turned black. "See? I'm here, just like I said."

"You'd better start talking, skank. Tell me again why I'm not just hauling you off to the king's cash window."

"Come on, Rosco. I told you. I've got something way better. You know how Crowley likes presents."

"He's not gonna care if we bring in the Winchesters. Yesterday's news." The Demon dismissed.

"Not the Winchesters. I've got the Angel who double-crossed him. I've got Castiel."

"Nah. Castiel – he's dead."

"Right, cause you're in that loop." Meg sneered.

"Where is he, then?"

"First, I want to know how many of you jerks I have to cut in."

"You think we're stupid? We didn't tell anybody."

Meg smirked. "I love Demons." Meg stabbed the Demon in the chest. An orange glow lit up his vessel and he collapsed to the ground, dead. The other Demon, Rosco, lunged at Meg. They fought but altimately, Meg was able to get the upper hand and she stabbed him. Light flashed through his body and he collapsed. Meg looked down at the bodies, panting before turning her back and walking away. When Meg entered the cabin, she found herself trapped and unable to move. She growled angrily and the lights turned on, revealing the Winchester's, Castiel and Krystal all staring at her.

"Didn't expect to see you back." Sam commented dryly.

"Yeah, not without the King's army." He gestured to the knife. "Knife."

She sighed irritably but handed the knife over anyway. "Typical. I save our bacon, and you're sitting here, waiting by a devil's trap. Seriously, I just killed two of Crowley's men. I could have gone the other way on that."

"It's true, incidentally. There's other Demon's blood on that blade." Castiel mumured.

"Look, I'm simpler than you think. I've figured one thing out about this world – just one, pretty much. You find a cause, and you serve it. Give yourself over, and it orders your life. Lucifer and Yellow Eyes – their mission was it for me."

"So, what? We should trust you because you wanted to free Satan from Hell?"

Meg rolled her eyes. "I'm talking cause, douchebag, as in reason to get up in the morning. Obviously, these things shift over time. We learn, we grow. Now, for me currently, the cause is bringing down the King. And I know we'll need help to do it."

"Crowley ain't the problem this year."

"When are you gonna get it?! Crowley's always the problem. He's just waiting for the right moment to strike. I know what I'm supposed to do. And it isn't screw with Sam and Dean or lose the only Angel that's attached himself to my friend."

Sam leaned forward, breaking the trap with his foot.

"Now our only problem is Hester." Castiel pointed out, making the others look at him in alarm.

"What?"

"Well, here, we're hidden from the Garrison, but when you killed a Demon, you put out a pretty clear beacon."

"We need better Angel-proofing _now_!"

But it was too late. The door to the cabin burst open and the Angels from before entered.

"You took the Prophet from us?!" No one said anything. "You have fallen in every way imaginable."

"Please, Castiel. We have to follow the code. Help us do our work." The male Angel begged.

"He can't help you. He can't help anybody." Dean said spitefully.

"We don't need his help...or his permission." She nodded at the male Angel who disappeared then reappeared behind Kevin. "The Keeper goes to the desert tonight."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Back off. We're actually trying to clean up one of _your_ Angels messes! You know that."

"He's right," Castiel mumured shamefully. "They warned me not to do it but I didn't listen."

"Look, just give us some time, okay? We will take care of your Prophet."

"Why should we give you anything...after everything you have taken from us? The very touch of you corrupts. When Castiel first laid a hand on you in Hell, he was lost! For that, you're going to pay."

To everyone's surprise, it was Krystal that blocked her path. "No. You _will_ stop!" She commanded darkly. They were left stunned at how quickly her voice changed. Her child-like eyes and demeaner were now cold and dark as she turned from insane and playful to dark warrior. "You will _not_ harm him."

Hester's eyes narrowed as she stared down Krystal. "How are you going to stop me, Demon?" She taunted.

Luckily, Krystal didn't rise to the bait. She stood in between Dean and Hester. "Quite easily," Krystal sneered back. Hester snarled in rage and lunged at her, her Angel blade drawn. Everyone watched in anticipation and nervousness. They weren't sure how things would go considering Krystal's condition. Meg and Castiel watched carefully, ready to intervene when they deemed necessary. But there was no need. Krystal ducked Hester's blow and grabbed her arm, twisting it and forcing the Angel to let go of her blade. She brought her foot up and kicked the Angel in the face. Hester fell backwards but got up relatively quickly. Hester circled Krystal slowly, eyeing the brunette up and down carefully. She smirked maliciously. "I can't see what Castiel sees in you. You're nothing special, there's not even much to you. You're just a Demon whore. You think he actually cares for you? He'll kill you the second he's done doing whatever the hell it is that he's doing."

Krystal didn't react outwardly but inwardly, her heart sank. Was he really just using her? Like those sick, twisted men had? Could she really trust him? Could she go through that again? She pushed those questions out of her mind and focused on the fight. "Ya know, I'm glad that blonde hair isn't contagious or I'd have to kill myself. What's the matter, bitch? Your daddy didn't hug you enough?" She taunted back.

Rage filled Hester's eyes at her comment. "You bitch!" She yelled.

Krystal smirked. "Gee, who lit the fuse on your tampon?" Krystal grinned as she heard laughter and chuckles behind her. She held out her hand to no one in particular and said, "Blade!" Someone threw the blade and she caught it. She waited until Hester lunged forwards and at the last second, ducked so she could stab her in the chest. Hester grunted as the blade buried itself in her body. "I like your approach. Now let's see your departure," she said as Hester died. She pulled the blade from Hester's corpse and turned to the other Angel who was looking at her in awe. "You wanna turn?" She asked him. He shook his head. She turned to the others who stared at her.

"What was that, Kris?" Sam asked.

"Kris?"

"Oh, yeah. I heard Meg call you that. You don't mind do you?"

"No. And she was gonna hurt you. I only stepped in, no big deal."

"I like your approach. Let's see your departure?" Meg repeated, eyebrow raised.

Krystal blushed and shrugged.

"I can't believe half the crap you said to her," Meg sniggered.

"She deserved it. Shouldn't have been such a stuck up bitch."

Meg frowned. "Hey, what about you?"

Krystal looked away. "What about me?"

"You seem...sane."

Everyone looked at her hopefully.

"Yeah well, it seems danger is enough to restore my sanity for a little while."

"What do you mean a little while?"

"I mean that it's probably not gonna last that long. It's...hard to focus. Hard to remember who I am."

"Damnit."

Sam walked past Krystal and picked up Simba. "He's cute," he commented.

Krystal smiled. "Yes he is." He handed the kitten to her and she took him gently.

Castiel watched her, stunned at what just happened and the fact that she had restored some of her sanity. This was his chance! Maybe, if he were to spend some time with her he could help her through it. It was worth a try anyway. "Krystal," he called, gruffly. She turned to look at him. He gave her a 'come here' gesture to which she obeyed. He grabbed her hand and paused to look into her eyes. "Is this okay?" He asked hesitantly.

"Yes," she replied softly.

"Hey, where's Meg?" Dean asked suddenly.

They turned to look at the spot the Demoness had been standing but it was empty. Krystal smiled a knowing smile. "Meg likes laying low. She's probably hiding somewhere," she explained. While the others were doing their own thing, Castiel walked over to Inias, who was much more willing to nagotiate than Hester was. He pulled Krystal along with him, unwilling to let go of her hand even for a second.

"These are strange times." Inias commented.

"I think they've always been."

"I wish you'd come with us." Inias said, his hand on Castiel's shoulder.

But Castiel shook his head. "I'm not part of the Garrison anymore, Inias. I'm sorry."

* * *

They walked over to Kevin who looked relieved to be finally going home. He gave Sam a notebook of his translations which Sam took gratefully. "Thanks, Kevin. Not a lot of people could have handled this."

"You doing all right there, chosen one?" Dean asked.

"Yeah."

"Are you ready, Kevin Tran?" Inias asked politely.

Kevin nodded. Two male Angels appeared and placed their hands on his shoulders. "Bring the Keeper to his home. We can watch over him there." Inias commanded. The Angels and Kevin disappeared.

Dean turned to Krystal. "So, what about you?"

She looked thoughtful. "Well," she said holding Simba in her arms. "I'm not sure. Think I'll go exploring or something. Unless you need help or something."

Dean shook his head. "We don't need anything. But uh, be safe out there," he said awkwardly.

"Don't worry Winchester. I'll be fine."

She was about to vanish but Castiel stopped her. "Wait a few moments," he said, pulling her back. She looked at him questioningly but did as he asked.

"Here. Leviathan cannot be slain but by a bone of a righteous mortal washed in the three bloods of the fallen. Uh...It says we need to start with the blood of a fallen Angel."

Castiel sighed and held out a small bottle. "You know me," he said as the bottle magically filled with his blood. "Always happy to bleed for the Winchester's."

They took the bottle from him. "What are you gonna do, Cas?" Dean asked.

"I intend to help a certain someone," he replied.

"Who?"

He nodded subtly towards Krystal and their eyes widened in understanding. "Let's go," he said, looking down at her. They disappeared.

"Well, let's get to work."

What no one realized was that the Leviathans had found Kevin and the Angels and that the Angels protecting him were now dead, leaving Kevin and his mum at their mercy.


	9. Keeping you close

It should have been awkward for both of them - a Demon and an Angel sticking together but strangely it wasn't. Sure, they're relationship wasn't the most conventional but it worked. Castiel had transported Krystal and himself somewhere they wouldn't be disturbed. Krystal had no idea where it was but she found she didn't care. The fight between her and Hester had broken a barrier in her mind. For the first time since the hospital, she was fully alert and completely sane. Of course it wouldn't last. Nothing good ever did. But that didn't mean it made it any easier for Castiel to watch. He desperately wished he could take away the pain and insanity from her. She didn't deserve it. He realized that now. But he couldn't. Not yet anyway.

He just needed more time. But for now, he was more than happy to stop and bask in the time they spent alone together. Although the Angel would never admit it, he couldn't stop thinking about her. The vessel she was using was beautiful but what he truely craved was her. Her touch, her words, her protectiveness. He tried to shake his mind off of her - he really did but it wasn't working. She was in his thoughts and she was staying. The Demon who would rather help than hurt, the Demon who gave praise rather than tore you down. It was meant to be impossible - _was_ impossible. Demons couldn't feel the way humans could no matter how much they tried to lie, they just couldn't. If he had never met her and someone had told him a Demon could feel and helped rather than hurt and killed because she could, Castiel would have scoffed and laughed in their face. But not now.

He watched her carefully, keeping a close eye on her. He didn't want her to disappear or worse get captured and tortured or even killed. He had grown to enjoy being in the Demons care and as a result would do anything to keep her out of harms way. He didn't care what the other Angels thought of him. Although he did miss Heaven, he wouldn't change it for the world. Heaven had become corrupt long ago and he was only sorry he had been a part of it.

He still regretted tricking and trapping Dean and allowing them to use Sam so they could start the apocalypse. He still regretted the deal he made with Crowley and turning against his friends. That was the worst mistake he had ever made. Because of him, they now had to find a way to kill the Leviathan _he_ let out. He shook his head from those thoughts and turned to his new charge. His _charge. His Demon charge._ Hester was right. There was a point where he would kill her kind with no hesitation bit things had changed. He had changed. For betternor for worse he had yet to find out. "Krystal," he called She looked up in curiosity and ran over to him. She jumped up and down like a child on christmas day. "Stay with me," he scolded gently.

She hung her head in shame. Castiel immediately felt guilty. He shouldn't be having a go at her. She wasn't in the right mind to know better. His hand went to her chin, lifting it up so he could make eye contact. He leaned down slowly to give her time to move away. When she didn't, he pressed his lips to hers and kissed her hungrily. He knew it was wrong. She wasn't in the right mind but in that moment he didn't care. He needed her. She was right there in front of him and he could no longer resist kissing those full lips that he was so familiar with. He felt her hesitate before she kissed him back.

He groaned in pleasure, his hand weaving into her thick locks. His tongue begged for entrance to her mouth and she happily gave it to him. She moaned into his mouth, his tongue caressing hers. Castiel was the one to break the kiss, leaving him panting and wanting more. _Stop! What are you doing? You can't take advantage of her while she's like this. Its wrong!_ He scolded himself sharply.

He grabbed her hand and pulled her with him. He was stunned that she allowed it to happen but chose not to say anything just in case she were to change her mind. Castiel kept an eye out to make sure nothing evil tried to attack them and went back to watching his Demon.

He liked that. _His_ Demon. She belonged to him and no one else. She was his and he always protected what was his.


	10. He did it

Castiel was both scared and excited. He did it! He finally found a way to take her insanity away. The only downfall was that he would have to take it himself but he reasoned that he deserved it and he knew he would be looked after and cared for in her care. It was time. His heart beat loudly in his chest as Krystal looked up at him and smiled. He returned the smile and walked towards her. He pulled her up by her arm, ignoring the curious look she was giving him. "It's time," he said. She frowned and tilted her head. What did he mean, it was time? Time for what? She found out when he put his fingers to her temples, his eyes closed in concentration. She gasped as her eyes lit up red, along with her arms and neck. The redness travelled from her to him. She gasped abd stumbled back when the process was complete. She looked around at her surrounding, her mind completely intact for the first time in what felt like forever. She looked upnto see Castiel backing away from her in fear. Instinctively, she tried to reach out but he flinched. She watched him sadly, knowing exactly what he'd done.

It took a while for Castiel to realize who she was but once he did, she found he was quite clingly. Not that she minded. She could remember her time with him. He had looked after her and she reasoned it was only fair to do the same for him. The changes in Castiel were noticeable. He went from fierce warrior that smote evil to a child-like, crazy Angel who would rather spend his time watching bees than fight or kill another thing. She sat with him patiently during the times he would sprout out random, useless facts about anything. Angels and Demons didn't need to sleep so she stayed up through the nights talking or playing games that Castiel suddenly liked to play.

Once or twice he had looked at her full of adoration. He even went as far to ask her about her soul. She never lost her temper, never lost her patience with him. Because she _understood._ And he was her friend. It didn't matter that he was from Heaven and she was from Hell. Her cheeks would burn whenever he grabbed her hand or he kissed her gently on her cheek. That was another thing that changed. _This_ Castiel rarely kissed her on the mouth. She missed it but it didn't matter. She would smile back and at night she would quietly sing for him. He would turn to her and caress her cheek. "You are so beautiful," he would murmur.

She would shake her head at him in protest. "I think you're getting mixed up with what's beautiful and what's not."

Castiel would shake his head at her in fondness before getting lost in another thought or fact. It was just his way of dealing with it like she and Sam had. She couldn't fault him for it. She sighed, knowing she would have to take him to the Winchesters, back to the never ending fight. He followed her without question, as if she were the only thing worth following. They found the Winchesters - and surprisingly Meg. They seemed surprised to see her but nodded. She walked in pulling Cas along with her. She froze as she briefly heard Meg and Dean talking about Crowley. And suddenly, as if his name were the magic words, the Demon himself showed up. Meg took one look at him and ran to the door. Crowley stopped her. "Wouldn't do that if I were you. Never know what's lurking out there," he warned.

"Back off Crowley!" Krystal commanded darkly.

Crowley's eyes narrowed at her. Sam, Dean and Meg stared at her, stunned at her newest change.

"And what if I _don't?_ What are you gonna do about it... _kitten?"_

"Leave her be," Castiel said, stepping closer to her.

Crowley gritted his teeth and turned to face the Angel. "Castiel. The last we spoke, you uh, enslaved me. I'm confused. Why aren't you dead?"

"I don't know."

"Well do you want to be? Cause I can help with that."

"Alright, that's enough." Dean said rolling his eyes.

"It's enough when I say. I came here to help you, find out you've been lying, harboring an Angel. Not just _any_ Angel, the one Angel I want most to crush between my teeth!"

Krystal growled in warning.

"Oh, so you can crush Angels now, huh?" Meg sneered.

Crowley sighed. "You bore me, you know that? You have no sense of poetry." He turned back to Castiel. "Now, what do you have to say for yourself?" He asked, as if Cas were a child that had been caught doing something he shouldn't have.

"Well I'm, still uh, honing my communication strategy. You know, I haven't even been back to Heaven. I keep thinking there are no insects up there but here we have trillions."

Crowley looked at Dean questioningly. Dean smirked in response.

"They're making honey and silk and miracles." Castiel continued.

"What are you talking about?" Crowley asked him.

"Um, preferring insects to Angels, I guess." His hand went through his pocket and pulled out a plastic bag. He stepped closer to Crowley. "Here, an offer, a token if you like. It's honey. I collected it myself," he said proudly.

Crowley stared at him. "You're off your rocker," he finally said. "He's off his rocker, is that it?" The silence confirmed it. Crowley scoffed. He glanced at a glass of whiskey on the table and picked it up. "Karma's a bitch innit?"

"Look, did you come here to donkey punch your old grudges or to help us end Dick? Pick a battle!"

"Well, I'm vexed. I'd like to do both but where's the fun in clobbering a ball of wet fur?"

Castiel looked uncomfortable and shuffled closer to Krystal.

"Text me when sparkles here retrieves his marbles, I suppose. Meanwhile," he said, pulling out a small vial of blood from his pocket. "A prezzie."

"Really? Just boxed up and ready to go?" Sam questioned suspiciously.

"I'm a model of efficiency."

"Is that right? Then why were you late?"

"Dick had me in a devil trap. He's not an idiot, he knows what you two are after."

"So what did he offer you?"

"A fair deal in exchange for giving you the wrong blood. It's Demon...but is it mine?" He shook the vial. "It's my blood. Real deal."

"And why should we trust you?"

"Good God, don't. Never trust anyone." His eyes flickered to Castiel. "A little lesson I learnt from my last business partner."

"Alright. Give us the blood."

"Certainly. Oh, bonus. Meg? I'm gonna scoop you up and take you home and roast you til you're jerky-" Castiel took a step forward. "But, not yet. Cas can have you for now. Hilariously, it seems he's taken a shine to you're Demon friend over there and as a result, you too. And the boys need Cas to get Dick. Don't they, Cas?"

Castiel looked away. "I-I don't fight anymore." He protested.

"Come on. Given the particulars of your enemies, sadly, you're vital." He tossed the vial at Sam, who caught it and then disappeared.

That night, Sam and Dean poured Crowley's blood over the bone of the nun they had chosen and waited. They looked around when nothing seemed to happen. "Maybe it worked," Sam said.

"Awesome." Dean said. He jumped when a hand grabbed his shoulder and he turned to see Castiel.

Castiel held out two plates with sandwiches on them. "So, none of this should cause you any ill affect. I went to a little farm for the weed and the lettuce and tomato and I thoughly examined and comforted the pig before I slaughtered it for the ham. Here," he said handing one to Dean and one to Sam. "You need your strength."

"Thanks, Cas."

"Hey, Cas? Why was Crowley so certain you needed to come with us?" Sam asked.

"Crowley's wrong," he said quickly. "I'll be waiting right here. But please, accept this sandwich as a gesture of solidarity."

Krystal and Castiel stayed behind along with Meg. They waited for the Winchesters to get back with news on Dick. Castiel paced around the cabin, Meg leant against the wall drinking a beer and Krystal sat on the couch. Castiel stopped and stared at his caretaker. It was a few moments before she noticed his staring. "What?"

He smiled. "Nothing."

"Then why are you staring at me?"

"Does there have to be a reason?"

She shrugged. "Guess not."

When the brothers finally returned, they knew instantly that their plan had not gone well.

The next day, they regrouped. "Tell me again why you turned tail for some maid. You were right there," Meg snapped.

"Shut up, Meg."

"Because Dick made more dicks," Sam said. They all stared at him for his poor choice of words. Castiel stopped and Dean noticed. "He musta kept a chunk of the original Dick Roman somewhere. And they all have to touch it."

"Hey, shifty. What's your problem?" Dean asked. They all turned to look at Castiel.

"Do we need a cat?"

"Ahem," Krystal coughed, eyebrows raised. "We already have a cat."

"Oh, right. But doesn't this place feel one species short?"

"You got anything to say on the topics of dicks?" Dean asked. He was slowly losing his patience with the Angel. It was his fault all this was happening and now he wouldn't even help them fight. "Crowley was pretty sure you could help-"

"I can't help!" Castiel said. "You understand? I can't. I destroyed everything and I will destroy everything again. Can we please just leave it at that?"

Dean stood up. "No. No, we can't."

"Dean-"

"We can't leave it. You let these friggen things in. So you don't get to make a say and you don't get a damn cat. Nobody cares that you're broken, Cas!"

There was a tense silence. Castiel put his plate down and stepped towards Dean. "Ya know, we should play twister."

And then he vanished.

"Nice, you scared off the Empire's only hope," Meg commented.

"Meaning?"

"Did it occur to you that every one of those things was _in_ Cas? He knows them, he could see past the meat-suits."

"So he'll be able to spot the real-fake Dick Roman," Sam said in realization.

"Gold star sugar pants. Too bad he's fruit loops, you might of had a chance."

They turned when they head a noise. Castiel was on the ground sitting on a mat. The mat to twister. He span the arrow.

That night, Bobby returned. He told them what they needed them to know then begged them to burn the flask he was attached to. As much as they didn't want to, Bobby was slowly turning vengeful and they all knew it. Even if they wanted to ignore it. They went to the basement and burnt the flask. They watched as he disappeared in a bright light. When they looked back, he was gone. They looked at each other with similar devastated expressions on their faces. Unknown to them, Castiel was watching them quietly on the stairs.

Castiel looked around the cabin for Krystal. He found her outside. "Krystal?"

She turned to look up at him. "Yeah?"

He looked down sheepishly. "They just burnt Bobby's flask. He's gone and I feel so lost. I don't know what to do." He sat down next to her. "Please, tell me what to do."

Krystal thought for a moment. They needed his help, that much was clear but she also didn't want him in harms way. There was no way around it, they needed him. "Cas, we do need the help. How about this? If you come with us, I promise to never leave you and always be there for you?"

"That sounds nice. But what if we all die?"

"At least we did something instead of avoiding it and ignoring it. Those things are going for humanity and we can't let them do that."

Castiel nodded. "So, what's the plan?"

"Crowley said Dick knows we're coming so I think we're gonna announce ourselves...big. But you might wanna ask Dean just in case."

"No, I trust you. You wouldn't lie to me."

They spent the rest of the night sitting outside together.

The next morning, Meg and Krystal drove the impala. They drove fast and hard, the music loud as they crashed into SucroCorp. Immediately, employees ran out. Meg and Krystal got out, a plastic carton of Borax in their hands. They barely flinched as a man shot at them.

Inside, Sam, Dean and Castiel crept down the halls. Dean stopped outside a window and peered around. There sat Dick Roman but they weren't sure if he were the real one or not. Dean beckoned Castiel and moved out of the way as the Angel peered around. He turned back and shook his head. That wasn't the real Dick Roman.

Outside, Meg and Krystal walked away from the dead Leviathan. They stopped and turned when they sensed Demons. They grinned and one of them flung a hand out, throwing them on their backs. "The king of Hell will see you now."

Inside, Sam burst through a door and found Kevin tied up and gagged. He flicked open a pocket knife and began cutting through his bonds. "Okay, we need to go."

"Wait, we can't leave yet," Kevin protested.

"Uh, yeah we can. We gotta go."

"You don't understand. Dick's got cream in his lab and he's gonna kill all the skinny people."

"Wait, what? Slow down."

"We have to blow up the lab, Sam. Please."

"Yeah, fine. Let's go."

"You know, I think this might end up the slickest little genocide in history."

"Thank you, sir."

"Just sayin'. I smell promotion." He said drinking the creamer. There was a noise behind him and he frowned and turned to see Castiel and Dean. He looked down at the dead Leviathan. " Little abrupt...but okay. Castiel. Good to see you again. Thanks for the ride into paradise." Dean pulled out the bloodstained bone from his jacket and Dick grinned. "And good on you! Pulling that together – A-plus."

"Oh, you don't think this'll work, do you? You trust that Demon?"

"You sure I'm even me, Dean?"

"No. But he is." Dick looked at Castiel who stared back. "See, here's the thing when dealing with Crowley – he will _always_ find a way to bone you."

"This meeting's over." He stormed towards Dean but Castiel shoved a hand and pushed him back. Dick grabbed him and threw him across the room. Dean plunged the bone into his chest. Dick gasped but nothing happened. He pulled the bone out and laughed, snapping in two. "Did you really think you could trump _me?"_

 _"_ Honestly?" He pulled out another bone from his pocket. "No." He watched as Castiel now stood behind Dick. He grabbed him by his hair and pulled his head back. He plunged the bone through his neck. Dick gurgled. Sam and Kevin ran into the room. "Figured we'd have to catch you off guard."

Dick opened his mouth, his face transforming back. His mouth wide with sharp, pointy teeth and a protruding tongue. He roared as his face returned normal. He grunted as black goo began running down his face. He grinned and began to laugh as waves of energy began to pulse from him. Castiel and Dean stepped back, their eyes wide. The energy was pulled back before going everywhere, covering Dick, Castiel and Dean. Sam had an arm flung to protect his face. When he looked back, all three were gone.

"Sam, we should go."

"What the hell?"

"More chompers any second, Sam!"

But Sam wasn't listening. Where was Castiel and Dean?

"Not to worry. I have a small army of Demons outside. Cut off the head, and the body will flounder, after all. Think if you'd had just one King since before the first sunrise. You'd be in a kerfuffle, too."

"Which is exactly what you wanted."

"So did you. Without a master plan, the Levis are just another monster. Hard to stomp, sure, but you love a challenge. Your job is to keep them from organizing."

"Where's Dean?"

"That bone...has a bit of a kick. God's weapons often do. They should put a warning on the box."

"Where are they, Crowley?!"

"Can't help you, Sam." He clicked his fingers and the Demons that had Meg and Krystal appeared behind Kevin. They grabbed the boy and held on. "Sorry, Sam. Prophet's mine." He snapped his fingers and they disappeared. "You got what you wanted – Dick's dead, saved the world. So I want one little Prophet. Sorry, moose. Wish I could help. You certainly got a lot on your plate right now. It looks like you are well and truly...on your own."

With another snap, Sam found himself alone in the room.

"Wake up!" Dean woke to find himself laying on the floor in what looked like a forest. "Good. We need to get out of here."

Dean stood up and looked around. "Where are we?"

"You don't know?" Castiel asked.

"Last I remember, we ganked Dick."

Castiel nodded. "And where would _he_ go in death?" He hinted.

"Wait. Are you telling me-"

"Every soul here is a monster." There was a rustling in the trees. "This is where they come to prey upon each other for all eternity," he said grimly.

"We're in Purgatory? How do we get out?"

"I'm afraid we're much more likely to be ripped to shreds."

Dean turned to see a pair of red eyes staring at him. "Cas, I think we better-" But Castiel was gone. "Cas?!"

Dean looked around feeling lost and afraid as he was slowly surrounded by creatures.


	11. Goodbye Stranger

Krystal had been tied to the ceiling. Her clothes were ripped and bloody and her long hair hung down like a rope. She and Meg, who tied on the floor, had been there for the past year. Not long after kidnapping them, Crowley and his Demons had begun to torture and question them about Lucifer's crypts. Only Meg knew about them, having hung out with the Archangel back in the day. At first, she had refused to even talk to them but when they turned their attention to Krystal, she had panicked, deciding to feed them lies in the hopes it would buy them more time. Having finally got his hands on Krystal, Crowley had taken delight in trying to manipulate her into turning completely but she resisted much to his disappointment. Krystal found her thoughts turning to Castiel from time to time. Where was he? Was he okay? Was he still alive? She hoped so. She missed him, missed his calm, safe presence. She missed his adorable cluelessness and his care. Wherever he was, she hoped he was safe and well.

Little did she know, he _was_ safe but he wasn't well.

* * *

Somewhere else, Sam, Dean and Castiel stood in front of a tied up Demon in her kitchen. Each hand was fastened with her palms faced down. She chuckled. The brothers leant against the sink facing her. Castiel stood to the side. "Oh, the thoughts she had about you two. Mostly you, Sam. What can I say? She has a thing for mutton chops."

"All right, you douchebag, listen-" But before he could finish his sentence, Castiel stabbed his Angel blade into one of her hands.

"Aah!" She screamed, panting. She let out a whimper of pain as he pulled the blade out, sparks glowing from her hand.

"Who told you about the crypts?" Castiel demanded coldly.

"I thought Angels were supposed to be the good cops?' She spat angrily."Aah!" She screamed again as he stabbed her other hand. "Wait! Stop! Stop! We have a hostages!" Castiel wrenched the blade out of her hand. She panted and gasped from the pain of the Angel blade. "It's one of Crowley's pets. She's at the Murray Hotel, down by the interstate. She knows the towns where all the crypts are buried. She saw them all back in the day. There's two of em but only one of em actually hung around Lucifer." She admitted.

"And she told you about the parchment?" Sam asked.

"What parchment?!" The Demon glared.

"Hey. Hey! Think he's the only bad cop in this room? Stop lying! We know what you're really looking for." Dean snapped.

"No. I am telling you, we're looking for..."

* * *

"Kill it!" Naomi ordered.

* * *

"...for - aah!" She screamed as Castiel plunged the blade into the Demons stomach before she could finish her sentence.

"Cas! What the hell was that?!" Sam cried.

"It told us what we needed." Castiel replied emotionlessly.

"No, she didn't! You can't just-"

"I started this hunt without you because I didn't want anything to slow me down. We have to get to the motel now."

"Hold on a second-" But it was too late. Castiel was gone.

"Cas!"

"Cas? Cas? Damn it. Go. Go. Go."

* * *

They ran through a hallway and stopped outside a door. There was another flash of light coming from around the door and a cry of pain could be heard clearly. They nodded at each other and burst into the room just as a Demon with burned out eyes toppled onto the body of another dead Demon whose eyes were also burned out. Castiel stood in the middle of the room.

"Thanks for waiting," Sam said sarcastically.

Castiel pointed to another room. "The hostage is in there."

They opened the door and were stunned to see Meg with long blonde hair, tied on the ground. Her face was battered and bruised.

"Aren't you a little short for a Storm trooper?"

"Meg?"

"Who else?"

Dean scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. "Um, where's Kris?"

Castiel stepped back as a curtain of thick, dark hair fell in his face. He blinked and parted the hair so he could see, his fingers tangling in the knots. "Ow! Hey! Quit pulling my hair!" His gaze shot up to see Krystal spread across the ceiling in an uncomfortable position. "Can you get me down now? I'm a...little uncomfortable here," her voice was strained. Castiel waved his hands and the binds holding her up vanished. "Ahhhh! She cried as she fell towards the floor. She grunted as she fell into a pair of arms and looked up to see Castiel staring down at her.

* * *

So, I got to ask. Um... ..what's up with the hair?" Dean asked.

"Aww. Thanks for noticing, Dean. But this wasn't my idea. It was Crowley's. And it's just another reason I want to stab him in the face."

Krystal sniggered. She was sitting next to Meg on the bed. "I think it suites you, Meg."

Meg looked at her. "Really? Well, I think the floor suites you."

Krystal was about to ask what she meant when Meg shoved her off of the bed. She landed on the floor with a grunt and a loud thump. "Ow."

"Wait a second. You've been telling Crowley the location of Lucifer's crypts?"

"What can I say? I needed a break from the constant torture. And I did visit them all during my time with Yellow Eyes. But don't worry. I haven't exactly been giving them the Glengarry leads."

"You mean you've been lying to them?" Castiel asked.

"I just get them in the ballpark. Enough time's passed and enough's changed that they bought it."

"Why lie?"

"Buy myself some time, dummy. Try to find a way to get free."

"Wait, so... A bunch of innocent people died so you could...buy yourself some time?"

"Hi. I'm Meg. I'm a Demon."

"So, what have they found?"

"Bupkis. Every crypt's been one Al Capone's vault after another. And on top of that, someone kept picking up the trail and icing Demons. I'm guessing that was you, Castiel. But Crowley just keeps sending more. He's hell bent on..."

* * *

"She's gonna tell them the truth." Castiel stated in worry. "Do I have to kill her?"

"She does know the location of the crypts. But working with a demon is...unclean." Naomi replied thoughtfully.

"Well, we could use her as Crowley did." Castiel suggested.

"Agreed."

* * *

"...finding that Angel Tablet."

"Wait a second. Did you just say _Angel Tablet_?"

Meg stared at Sam. "You know, I get why Crowley calls you moose now. Yes, the Angel Tablet. Crowley found out Lucifer had it, figures it's stashed in a crypt."

"Well, this is news to me, as well. Demons I interrogated, they must have been lying about their true intentions."

"Really? 'Cause I saw you Zero Dark Thirty that Demon. You were more than persuasive." Dean said suspiciously. Something was wrong here and he knew it.

"You're both missing the point. I lied to them, which means they're digging in the wrong place. But not for long. They'll be back here soon. So, who's up for fleeing?"

"I am!" Krystal called.

"She's right. We need to find those crypts before they do. Meg, you're the only one who's been there."

"We need your help."

"Any of you dummies got a map?"

* * *

"There. That's where the crypt was."

"What's there now?"

"Do I look like Google to you?" Krystal grinned at her comment. "None of these buildings were here way back in the day. Figure it out, genius. Is there any booze in this dump?"

* * *

"These wounds have festered." Castiel murmured as he finished wrapping gauze around Meg's wrist.

"You really do know how to make a girl's nethers quiver, don't you?" Meg and Krystal sat on the couch. Meh held a bottled of alcohol in her hand.

"I am aware of how to do that. Although it doesn't usually involve cleaning wounds."

"Why are you so sweet on us, Clarence?"

"I don't know. And I still don't know who Clarence is."

"I do. It's cause we're adorable and he just can't resist us."

Meg smiled. "Would it kill you to watch a movie, read a book?" She took a long swig of alcohol.

"A movie, no. But a book with the proper spells, yeah, it could, theoretically, kill me."

"You know, you're much cuter when you're shutting up. So, which Cas are you now? Original make and model or crazy town?"

Castiel sighed. "I'm just me."

"So, your noodle's back in order?"

"Yeah, my...noodle remembers everything. I think it's a pretty good noodle." He smiled.

"Really? You remember _everything?_

"If you're referring to the pizza man...yes, I remember the pizza man. And it's a good memory."

Krystal blushed and looked away.

"You ever miss the Apocalypse?"

"No. Why would I miss the end of times?"

"I miss the simplicity. I was bad. You were good. Kris was good. Life was easier. Now it's all so messy. I'm kind of good, which sucks. And you're kind of bad which is actually all manner of _hot_. We survive this I'm gonna order some pizza and we're gonna move some furniture around. You understand?" Krystal chose that moment to slap her around the head in warning. "Ow. What was that for?" She asked innocently.

"Hands off." She warned, pointing a finger at Meg.

Meg's eyes glittered mischievously. "Ohh, someone's jealous."

Krystal rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Not likely."

"Then you won't mind if I take a turn in kissing him?"

"Do you have a death wish? Do it and it'll be the last thing you ever do."

"Jealous," Meg sang.

Krystal turned to Castiel. "Is it possible to kill a Demon through strangulation? Cause I _really_ wanna try it."

Castiel smiled at her fondly.

"All right. Let's roll, campers."

* * *

"So, this is it. Basement?"

"All right, Cas and I will head in and get our Indiana Jones on. Sam, you stay outside with Meg and Krystal." Dean ordered.

"What?" Sam asked, clearly not happy.

"We got this."

"What are you talking about, Dean? I'm not letting you go in there alone."

"He won't be alone."

"That's not what I mean. Meg and Krystal can hang here, watch our backs."

"Oh, what? Now you trust them?"

"Hey!" Krystal growled.

"Hey, I got you this far."

"Shut up."

"Shut up, Meg. Dean-"

"Sam, I saw your bloody rag in the trash can, okay?"

"That wasn't-"

"Stop. Just stop. Sam, we don't know what's in there, okay? And you almost let a demon get the best of you back there."

Sam gritted his teeth. "I'm fine."

"No, you're not fine. You haven't been fine since the first trial. That's why I called Cas."

"Trial?" Meg asked.

"Shut up, Meg!" They both shouted.

"Dean, I'm telling you - I'm okay."

"No, you're not." Castiel spoke up causing Sam to look at him. "Sam...you're damaged in ways even I can't heal. Dean's right. You should stay here and protect Meg and Krystal."

"Since when do we need protecting?" Meg said.

"Since you were both held captive and tortured for over a year." Castiel snapped.

"Touché."

"All right, we'll be back."

* * *

"Hey, what did you mean back there about Sam?"

"It's difficult to say. It's something on the subatomic level and his electromagnetic field-"

"Okay, bottom-line it for me, Bill Nye. Is it lethal?"

"I don't know. Wait." They stopped at a cement wall. "There's a draft. There's something behind there. Stand back." He placed a hand on the wall and a light poured out causing the wall to crack and break.

* * *

"Wait, so we took how many bullets for you guys, and you didn't even look for us? Like, once?" Sam's silence said enough. "My hero. What's with all the trial and being damaged crap?"

"Look, no disrespect, but you haven't exactly been the most, uh, trustworthy person in our lives, Meg."

Krystal gave a harsh laugh. "Are you kidding me right now? First, you don't bother to look for us after we save your asses countless times and now you refuse to answer a simple question? Ya know, Crowley _was_ right. You do have a habit of using people for your own ends and then leaving them to fend for themselves when you're done. It's quite sickening actually considering your supposed to be a hunter that does all this good crap." Krystal spat angrily.

"Ya know, I agree with Krystal on that one. Whatever it is, you okay dying over it? You don't want to say, fine. But remember, I spent time in that walking corpse of yours. I know your sad, little thoughts and feelings."

Sam pulled a face. "That's creepy."

"Here's what I remember. Deep down, in parts you never let see the light of day, you want to live a long, normal life away from creepy old things like me."

"I do. You know, I spent last year with...someone, and, um...now I know that's actually possible."

"Wait, that's how you spent your last year? With a chick? Lame."

"You know, how about we just wait quietly?"

"What was her name? You don't even trust me with a name? Cut me, do I not bleed, Sam? So, some chick actually got you off hunting, huh? That's one rare creature. Tell me, how'd you meet this unicorn?"

While Meg and Sam were distracted, Krystal ran off to find Castiel and Dean.

* * *

"I found it."

"Tell the Winchester the crypt is empty. Then you can come back-"

Castiel shook his head. "I can't. It's warded against Angels."

"Well, you can come back-"

"Crowley's Demons are still in town, and we're running out of time. What should I do?"

"Handle it." Naomi replied firmly.

* * *

"Dean, that's it."

Dean's flashlight fell on a small wooden box. "How do you know?"

"It's the only thing in here warded against Angels."

Dean picked up the box and placed it on the table in front of Castiel. He picked up a small dagger and used it to pry open the lid. He reached in and lifted out a rather large block of stone. "Winner, winner, chicken dinner."

"Good. Hand it to me, and I'll take it to Heaven."

"No, we will take it to Kevin so he can translate." Dean said slowly.

"Right. Of course. I'll take it to him right away. No time to waste." Castiel held out his hand.

But Dean didn't trust him. "Well, he's not that far. I've been meaning to...go check on him, bring him some supplies."

* * *

"If the Demons get their hands on the Angel Tablet, they'll kill us all. They'll destroy Heaven!" Naomi shouted.

"I can reason with Dean. He's a good man." Castiel said quickly, beginning to panic.

"Kill him." She ordered darkly.

* * *

"I can resupply the Prophet, Dean."

"You know, why don't, uh, why don't Sam and I take it over to him, and you can get back to your mission? Finding the other half of the Demon Tablet - that is priority, isn't it?"

"I can't let you take that, Dean."

Dean's eyes narrowed in distrust and fear. "Can't or won't?"

"Both."

"How did you get out of Purgatory, Cas?"

* * *

"There has to be another way." Castiel reasoned.

"You have done this a thousand times, Castiel. You're ready. Kill him. Then take the tablet and bring it home, where it belongs."

* * *

"Just tell me how you got out of Purgatory. Be honest with me - for the first time since you've been back and this is yours."

Castiel's blade slipped out of his sleeve and into his hand.

"Cas. Cas, I don't know what the hell is wrong with you, but if you're in there and you can hear me, you don't have to do this!" Castiel lunged at him but he blocked the attack with the stone. "Cas!"

Thunder rumbled and flashed of light emitted from the sky.

* * *

"This isn't right." Castiel paced around the room anxiously.

"Do you realize what that tablet can do for us?"

"I..."

"For Heaven?"

"I won't hurt Dean."

"Yes. You will. You are."

* * *

"Cas, fight this! This is not you! Fight it!"

Castiel struck again but Dean blocked it.

* * *

"What have you done to me?!" He gasped and held his head.

"Just relax, Castiel. Let your vessel do what you know deep down is the right thing." Naomi ordered calmly.

* * *

"What have you done to me, Naomi?"

"Who's Naomi?!"

* * *

"What have I done to you?! Do you have any idea what it's like out there? There's blood everywhere, and it's on your hands. After everything you did - to us, to Heaven. I fixed you, Castiel. I fixed you!" She yelled furiously.

Castiel stepped back, shaking his head.

* * *

"Cas!" Dean put his hand on Castiel's shoulder. Castiel backhanded him, sending him into a wall and onto the floor. He attempted to throw a punch but Castiel was faster and stronger, grabbing his forearm and breaking it. Dean dropped the stone which shattered on the floor, revealing the tablet inside. Lightening flashed.

Krystal arrived to see Castiel brutally beating Dean. She ran and tried to push him off but he easily threw her back.

"You want it?" Castiel glanced at the tablet dispassionately. "Take it! But you're gonna have to kill me first. Come on, you coward. Do it. Do it!"

He raised his fist and punched Dean in the face.

Krystal tried to grab his arm. "Stop it!"

Castiel backhanded her and she fell to the floor. She touched her mouth and pulled her hand back to see blood.

* * *

"Please."

"End this, Castiel."

* * *

"Cas...this isn't you. This isn't you." Dean gasped.

Castiel raised his fist again.

* * *

"Bring me the tablet!" Naomi cried.

* * *

Dean was on his knees on the floor. His face was badly beaten with one eye swollen shut and the rest swollen and bruised. "Cas. Cas." He weakly reached out for the Angel. "I know you're in there." Castiel raised his blade, ready to kill Dean. "I know you can hear me. Cas... It's me. We're family. We need you. I need you."

* * *

Castiel stood in Naomi's office with an unreadable look on his face.

"You have to choose, Castiel. Us or them."

In that moment, Castiel made his choice.

* * *

Castiel's blade dropped and Dean groaned in pain. Castiel's eyes fell on the tablet and he bent down to retrieve it. The tablet glowed and so did Castiel, forcing Dean to look away from the bright light.

* * *

"Aah! Aah!" Naomi cried out, flinching back and shielding her eyes at the light. When she looked back, the room was empty and Castiel had vanished. "Castiel! Castiel!"

* * *

Castiel stared at the tablet before turning to look at Dean. His expression turned to horror, guilt and sadness.

"Cas?" Dean panted, breathing heavily. "Cas?" Castiel reached out to Dean but Dean tried to pull away. "No. Cas. Cas!"

Castiel placed a hand on the injured hunters cheek and a second later, he was healed. "I'm so sorry, Dean.

"What the hell just happened?"

* * *

"Love what you've done with the place. You really think all that was gonna keep me out forever?"

"At least long enough for Dean and Cas to get the tablet and get out."

Crowley sighed. "Castiel. So, that's who's been poking my boys and not in a sexy way. Got a bone to pick with you, moose. After what you did to my poor dog."

"You gonna talk us to death or get down to it already?" Meg demanded.

Crowley pointed a finger at her. "There's my whore. I'm not here for my dearly departed, though. I'm here for the stone with the funny scribbles on it."

"That's not gonna happen." Sam said confidently.

"Love it when you get all tough. Touches me right where my bathing suit goes."

Meg turned her head to look at Sam. She gave him a sad smile. "Go. Save your brother and tell Kris I said I love her."

Sam was stunned at Meg's last words. Any other time and he wouldn't believe it but he knew how Meg felt about Krystal and vice versa. He nodded and ran off.

"Timon and Pumbaa...tell you their big plan? Did they share that little chestnut with you? They mean to close the Gates of Hell, sweetheart. They mean to kill me and all the Demons - you included."

"You had me at kill you, Crowley." She smiled.

Crowley struck.

* * *

"So, this Naomi has been controlling you since she got you out of Purgatory?"

"Yeah."

"Well, w-what broke the connection?"

"I don't know. I just know that I have to protect this tablet now."

"From Naomi?"

"Yes. And from you."

Dean was surprised. "From me? What are you talking about?" Castiel vanished. "Cas? Cas! Damn it."

"Dean! Dean. Where's Cas?"

"He's gone. Meg?"

Sam shook his head. "We got to go - now."

Krystal ran out of the crypt as fast as she could. There was no way in hell she was gonna leave her with Crowley. She arrived in time to see him stab Meg in the stomach. "No!" Meg's lifeless body dropped to the ground. Sam and Dean stopped behind her. For the first time in a long time, Krystal felt pure rage and hatred. Much to everyone else's surprise, she raised her hand and easily threw Crowley through the air. She disappeared and reappeared next to the Demon and grabbed him by his collar. "You're gonna pay for that," she snarled vengefully. She pulled back her fist and began to beat the Demon, punching him in the face and stomach. She threw him to the ground and stamped hard on his leg, breaking it.

"Ahh! Bitch!"

Sam and Dean watched on. "Wait, didn't Cas and Meg both say she would turn completely if she lets herself? Like through torture?"

Dean thought back and nodded. "We gotta stop her."

Easier said then done though. When they tried to intervene she simply threw them against a wall.

"What do we do?" Sam asked as Krystal continued beating Crowley.

"I dunno."

Crowley slumped to the floor, bleeding. He smirked up at her. "Gee, if I knew killing that little whore would make you change, I would have done it ages ago," he goaded.

"Krystal, stop!"

Krystal ignored them.

"C'mon, do it. Do it!"

A blade slipped into her hand and she raised it in the air. Just as she was about to kill him, he kicked her knee and used that distraction to vanish. Full of revenge but unable to get it, Krystal was left with loneliness and pain. Now that Meg was gone, she had no one left. They gasped as they fell to the ground. She ignored them and placed a hand on Meg's arm.

Sam and Dean watched in sadness as she disappeared.

* * *

"So... what happened? I mean, Cas touched the tablet, and it reset him to his factory settings or something?"

"I don't know. And I don't care. All I know is that he is off the reservation with a heavenly WMD. Listen, man, I can't take any more lies - from anyone."

"Yeah. Um... I know. I'm sorry. I should have told you. I... just wanted to believe I was okay. I don't know."

"Well, you heard what Cas said - that that first trial hurt you in ways that even he can't heal. Sammy, I need you to be honest with me from here on out, man."

"You're right. And I will be. What about Krystal? Think she's gonna be okay?"

"Listen, I may not be able to carry the burden that comes along with these trials...but I _can_ carry you. I'm not sure about Krystal, I mean she just lost her best friend. We can only hope she'll be fine but if she comes back, we'll be there for her. Yeah?

"You... realize you kind of just quoted Lord of the Rings, right? And yeah, we will."

"Good. Come on, man. But it's the Rudy Hobbit, all right? Rudy Hobbit always gets a pass." Sam laughed. "Shut up."

Dean turned up the radio.

* * *

Castiel sat on a moving bus, the angel tablet still in his hands. He put the tablet into a bag and closed the zipper. His thoughts were on Dean, Naomi, the tablet and on Krystal. He wondered where she and Meg were now. Hopefully he would see them again soon.


End file.
